Inventory of Endemic Freshwater Fish Fauna of Maharashtra State: India

Freshwater systems are amongst the most vulnerable natural systems on the earth spread over 0.8% of Earth's surface, cover 0.01% of world's water resource. It provide sole habitat for extremely rich, endemic, and sensitive biota, estimated to harbour around 6% of all described species (Dudgeon et. al., 2005; Strayer & Dudgeon, 2010). In recent times anthropogenic activities and climatological changes are driving its biodiversity under severe crises and thus making it the most endangered natural system in the world (Suski and Cooke, 2007, Sarkar et. al., 2008, Woodward, 2010). In view of this, freshwater systems and its biodiversity have to be conserved and managed properly, as it incorporates an invaluable resource, in economic, cultural, aesthetic, scientific and educational terms, necessary for human health and well being (Dudgeon et. al., 2005).