The magnificent Ngamu Sangum

[Scientific name=Garra species]

These small sized fishes dwell in the highly torrential hill streams of Manipur.  
People believed that the fish emerged out of caterpillars, may be because of its rough and caterpillar-legs like snout.

In fact, it is not so.

The spines, called ‘tubercles’ are used by them to deflect the strong water current so that they can force themselves up in hill streams and  are thus  not washed away.

In addition, they have a disc on the chest which is used for adhesion to the rocks.

These features again quality the fish to be a good aquarium fish.

What a fish!! Nature has given them the devices for their special mode of life.                                                                                                                          The activity of the disc is widely utilized in Spa and manicuring in Star Hotels and Body fitness centres.

   Is it not interesting?

Have we ever thought of Manipur having such wonderful fishes?

Ngapang, the idiot fish

(Scientific name: Glyptothorax species)  

Ngapang

•       Ngapang [Nga=fish, pang=idiot] means the idiot     fish. But are they really idiots?    No!! In fact, they are hill stream fishes.  
•       Just imagine how a creature in a stream would withstand the highly torrential and forceful water current.
•     A moment of carelessness and the animal would be washed away; crash-land on a rock and face the consequences.
•       Nature has given the fish the facility to adhere to the rocks. The chest has the adhesive device to attach to the bottom so that they are not washed away.
•      In this process, they remain motionless and we think that they are idiots.

             This particular nature qualify  the fish to be a good candidate as an aquarium fish. Manipur has  more than a dozen species of   Ngapang.

    Are we not concerned about the

   conservation of these prospective

    fishes?

Ngatup, the colourful tiny aquarium fishes

[Scientific name: Schistura species]

• Ngatup (named after the coloured bars on the body) occur widely in the hill streams of Manipur.

• About 50 species of such colourful fishes are expected to be found in the streams of the state.

• Its small size (hardly reaching 10 cm length) and bony consistency, do not quality it as a good food fish.

• The fishes often remain unattended after a fishing operation and many of them die out of water.

• The fascinating beauty of these colourful tiny ornamental fishes has been attracting aquarium hobbyists from time immemorial.

• South and Southeast Asia has been the centre of export of ornamental fishes to different destinations of the world.

• The rich resources of these hill stream fishes of Manipur have not been explored.

The fish needs protection to live in the wild.     

·