First Photographic Record of non-Native Alligator gar Atractosteus spatula (Lepidosteiformes: Lepidosteidae) From Irrigation Canal Connected to the Tinau River, Nepal

Abstract

The present study reports the first documented photographic record of non-native gar fish Atractosteus spatula (Lacepède, 1803) from the Tinau River irrigation canal system in Western Nepal. The species is native to the North America and is not a part of natural ichthyofauna of Nepal. A single individual was observed in human-modified irrigation channel locally known as “36 Khulo” which is diverted from main Tinau River system for agricultural irrigation purposes and water management. This record highlights the increasing vulnerability of modified river-canal systems to biological invasions and may pose a risk to native fish communities, emphasizes the need for regular monitoring of non-native aquatic species in Nepal.