Vasai Creek, Maharashtra, India

India, Palghar, Maharashtra, Vasai

This biotope represents a local creek in Vasai city, Palghar, distr. Maharashtra – India. Vasai Creek (or Bassein Creek) is an estuarine creek, one of the two main emissaries of the Ulhas River in Konkan division of Maharashtra state of western India. The Ulhas splits at the northeast corner of Salsette Island into its two main emissaries, Vasai Creek and Thane Creek. Vasai Creek marks the northern border of Salsette Island, and empties west into the Arabian Sea. Thane creek empties southwards into Bombay Harbour.

The fish added to the biotope are Puntius sanctus. This is a silver-hued fish, small in size. It grows to a length of 7 cm. The biotope is made of driftwood, soil, sand and a list mixture found in the water body. Plants are floating water latus and water hyacinth. There also are palm leaves and almond leaves found near the creek which makes the creek water dark. Water quality is murky during rainy season due to soil deposit.

Submitted by: Devarsh Bhoir
Approved by: Friedrich Bitter & Sven Kullander

GPS: 19.3891487, 72.8038559

Geographical region: Southern Asia
Drainage Basin: Vasai Creek
River catchment: Ulhas River
Water body type: Creek
Water body name: Vasai Creek
Water body part: Marsh land
Water body course
Water body: tributary of: Creek
Tributary name: Thane Creek, Vasai Creek

Videos above and below water

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type: fresh-water
Water color: Mixed water
Water transparency: Medium
Concentration of sediments: High
Water temperature: 26-28 °C
Water flow/curent: Slow

Chemical parameters

pH: 7.5
Conductivity
GH
dGH
KH
dKH
Dissolved Oxygen

Comment by the expert

Friedrich Bitter: Good description of BIN, good description of threats.

Sven Kullander: Research was local and metadata for the most part probably familiar to the participant. Wikipedia is given as the only reference. The information and metadata are limited, however. Although the entry could have passed as example of a very disturbed environment, this was not done. Alone the fish identification is low quality. Puntius sanctus was published in a predatory journal and is not an available name for what I can find. It is also does not look different from Puntius sophore. In the aquarium, however, I see in the videowhat looks like Puntius chola and an aquarium form of Amatitlania nigrofasciata, a Central American fish species. The habitat video shows a flash of Puntius sophore. I get the impression that the participants has underestimated the high quality expected from participants in the contest, and will probably learn a lot from studying the other entries for future contests.