Abdul Rab, Muhammad Farhan Khan, Muhammad Afzal, Najam ul Huda, Muhammad Ramzan Ali, Aziz Ahmad
The present study was conducted to assess the fish biodiversity at Simli Dam, Islamabad. A total of 153 individuals, representing 12 species from 2 families (Cyprinidae and Chandidae), were collected across eight sampling stations. The highest diversity and species richness were observed at site 5, followed by sites 1, 2, and 8, each with comparable species richness. Site 3 exhibited the lowest richness. Cyprinidae emerged as the most abundant family across all sites. Notably, five species, including Punctius ticto, Punctius sarana, Punctius sophore, Barilus vagra, and Tor putitora, were found to be abundant. Among these, Mahasheer (Tor putitora) holds significant commercial value and is rare in the country's water bodies, necessitating the establishment of a sanctuary for its conservation at Simli Dam. The study also revealed an imbalance in the forage and carnivorous fish populations, highlighting the need for stocking carnivorous species in the dam to restore ecological balance.