This paper documents the first occurrence of an intergrade form of the highly invasive, South American armoured suckermouth catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) from the brackish waters of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India and the exotic Central American cichlid Amphilophus trimaculatus (Gunther, 1867) from Southern Bengal, India. Another species of cichlid Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1790) native to Southern India is also recorded for the wild for the first time from West Bengal. Notes on the possible threats due to invasion, sources of introduction, extent of spread and management of these and other invasive species are discussed in the paper.
A lack of current data on Bengal mongoose Herpestes palustris in India inhibits the development of conservation strategies for this endemic wetland mammal. Structured interviews were conducted to assess the threats and examine the ecological importance of the Bengal mongoose in the Nalban fisheries complex in West Bengal for four months (May to August 2017). Over half of the interviewees perceived that the Bengal mongoose faces several threats and that its population has declined over the years. The respondents said that the removal of vegetation is the main reason for the declining mongoose numbers. The ecological importance of the mongoose was apparent among most interviewees. The results suggest that the endemic Bengal mongoose faces multiple anthropogenic hazards and emphasize the critical need for conservation efforts.
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