PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CONDITIONS OF THE WATER OF A MICROHABITAT OF MUD EEL MONOPTERUS CUCHIA (HAM) FROM NADIA DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL
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Authors
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Sangita Das
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M. Dasgupta
Abstract
Monopterus cuchia is a mud eel having a long snake like appearance and smooth slimy skin. Its colour is light chestnut brown becoming lighter on abdomen with numerous black spot on the body. This fish generally lives in the mud holes (Fig. 1) built by them in the river banks and in the embankments of ponds, lakes, rice fields and swamps and they spend most of the times in these nests (holes). These mud holes made by M. cuchia are their microhabitats. These mud holes are three to four feet deep usually going down in zigzag manner with two to three openings for each nest. The mud holes have connection with water body to moist their nest (Fig. 2). Normally during night time they come out from these holes for feeding. Eachhole contains one male and one female eel and they lay eggs in specially prepared mud holes and keep guard on the developing young ones (Nasar, 1989), Monopterus eels are airbreathing fishes and their air-breathing organ
consists of an air sac forming lung like structure. They also possess utaneous mode of respiration (Datta Munshi et al., 1989 and Nasar, 1997), and have the ability to breath atmospheric oxygen. They can thrive well in
oxygen depleted waters, even in the moist mud.Â
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