Sukanta Debnath and Priyankar Sanphui
Abstract
This study investigated the morphometric features of three fish species -Barilius bendelisis, Labeorohita, and Puntius sophore -in the River Torsa running through Cooch Behar district, West Bengal. Standard cast nets were used to collect fish samples from three sites - Sajerpar, Kaminirghat, and No. 1 Kalighat Road. Scale and weighing balance were used to determine standard morphometric features such as total length, standard length, head length, snout length, body depth, eye diameter, body weight, etc. For each measure, the mean, standard deviation, range, and range difference determined to understand in traspecies variations. According to the findings, there were several morphological variations both within and between species, which could be a result of environmental factors and anthropological activities. L. rohita had the largest body weight and size, while the other two fish species had more compact bodies. This is the first study to conduct baseline morphological assessment of three species in River Torsa, providing insights for species identification, ecological monitoring, and conservation planning.