Dwarf chameleon fish or Badis badis, a lesser known ornamental freshwater fish, has recently been included in the Indian threatened category of fish list. There are insufficient studies with regard to the assessment of genetic background of this ichthyofauna, especially in the western sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal, India, popularly known as the Terai. The present study is the first attempt to investigate the present status of the genetic background of this species in the Mahananda and Balason rivers, major streams of this region. Twenty-one selective RAPD primers generated 53 and 60 polymorphic fragments in the Mahananda and Balason populations, respectively. The proportion of polymorphic loci, Nei’s genetic diversity (H), and Shannon’s index were 0.4416, , and , respectively, in Mahananda river population and were 0.5041, , and , respectively, in Balason river population. Inbreeding coefficient and degree of gene differentiation were also calculated. The H and were found to be and , respectively, in overall Mahananda-Balason river system. Our study revealed considerable lack of genetic variation among the individuals of Badis badis. The genetic data obtained from the present study lend support to the view that there is a scope of stock improvement for this ichthyofauna. 1. Introduction Badis badis (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822) (Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Badidae) or dwarf chameleon fish is a tropical, benthopelagic freshwater species that attains up to 5？cm in total length. It has noteworthy ornamental and thus commercial value and has recently been included within the vulnerable category in the list of threatened freshwater fishes of India by National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR, Lucknow, India) [1]. However, there have been insufficient studies with regard to the estimation of genetic diversity of this fish species, especially in the eastern sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal, India, popularly known as Terai. The region being included within the Eastern Himalayan hotspot, our results will be important from the standpoint of validation of its threatened status and its conservation/sustainability of wild population, if required. Genetic variability or diversity is an essential characteristic of any population for the fitness of individuals as well as survival of the whole population, permitting adaptation to the changing environmental conditions and stress. Therefore the degradation of genetic diversity of a species reduces its capability for adaptation and increases the risk of its extinction [2–5]. Inbreeding is implicated in the
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