The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri, is a mountain range that stretches 1,600 km (990 mi) along the western coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of 160,000 km2 (62,000 sq mi), it traverses the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The range forms an almost continuous chain of mountains along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, from the Tapti River to Swamithoppe in Kanyakumari district at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. The Western Ghats meet with the Eastern Ghats at Nilgiris before continuing south.
The Denison barb, Denison's barb, Miss Kerala, red-line torpedo barb, or roseline shark is an endangered species of cyprinid fish endemic to the fast-flowing hill streams and rivers of the Western Ghats in India. It is commonly seen in the aquarium trade; pet collection caused it to become endangered and is its single major threat.
Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Pathanamthitta and Idukki in Kerala, India. It is a renowned Elephant and Tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses 925 km2 (357 sq mi), of which 305 km2 (118 sq mi) of the main zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982. The park is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala: the Periyar and the Pamba.
Chalakudy River or Chalakudy Puzha is the fifth longest river in Kerala, India. The river flows through Thrissur district, Palakkad district and Ernakulam district of Kerala. The total drainage area of the river is 1704 km2. Out of this, 1404 km2 lies in Kerala and the rest in Tamil Nadu. The length of the river is 145.5 km. Though Chalakudy River in strict geological sense is a tributary of the Periyar river, for all practical purposes it is treated as a separate river by Government and other agencies. The river has gained its name since it flows along the banks of the Chalakudy Town, the major settlement along the course of the river. It is perhaps the most unpolluted and pristine river in the state and even in India due to the limited amount of industries and wastage disposal around it. Chalakudy River and its basin area were one of the most affected rivers during the 2018 Kerala floods.
The dwarf pufferfish, also known as the Malabar pufferfish, pygmy pufferfish, or pea pufferfish, is a small freshwater pufferfish endemic to Kerala and southern Karnataka in Southwest India. They are popular in aquaria for their bright colours and small size. At a maximum total length of 3.5 cm, dwarf pufferfish are one of the smallest pufferfish in the world. They closely resemble the related Carinotetraodon imitator, and the two can be difficult to distinguish. C. imitator was not recognised as a different species until 1999.
Horabagrus brachysoma or the sun catfish is a species of catfish endemic to rivers in the Western Ghats of India. It is known as Günther's catfish or yellow catfish. It is also known as Manjakoori in its native range. It is also known by a host of other names, such as bullseye catfish, golden red tail catfish and solar catfish.
Batasio is a genus of catfish of the family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South and mainland Southeast Asia.
Dawkinsia filamentosa, the filament barb, or poovali paral is a species of barb. Young fish have barely any color and black spots. They start having more color at three months old. The fish is a swift swimmer. Males are larger than females and they fertilize eggs by swimming into the cloud of eggs. The species is most commonly found in coastal floodplains near the Southwest Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This species is also known as blackspot barb.
Dawkinsia chalakkudiensis is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to the Chalakkudy River, Kerala, India in the Western Ghats where it can be found in well-vegetated upper reaches of rivers. This species can reach a length of 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) TL. It resembles the related D. denisonii, but the colours of D. chalakkudiensis are less intense.
Garra surendranathanii is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Garra from the Western Ghats in Kerala. It occurs on four river systems the Periyar, Chalakudy, Pamba and Achenkovil in the state. A decline in habitat quality has endangered this fish.
Mesonoemacheilus petrubanarescui is a species of ray-finned fish from India. The specific name petrubanaescui honours the Romanian ichthyologist Petre Mihai Bănărescu. It grows to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) standard length. It is endemic to the Western Ghats and is known from only two locations, the Netravati River and Kabani River in Karnataka and Kerala. It is a little known species which is rare and may be threatened by habitat alteration, sand mining and pollution. It turns up occasionally in the aquarium trade where it is sold as the "dwarf loach".
Hypselobarbus kolus is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Hypselobarbus which is endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. It has been recorded from the rivers Chalakudy, Periyar, Muvattupuzha and Karamana, Linganamakki Dam on the Sharavathi River, Krishna River, Thamirabarani, Bhima River, Godavari and Bhadra.
Osteobrama bakeri is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Osteobrama. It is endemic to streams in the southern Western Ghats of Kerala where it has been recorded from the rivers Chaliyar ; Periyar, Chalakudy, Karuvannur, Muvattupuzha, Meenachil, Manimala, Chandragiri, Bharathapuzha, Pamba, Kallada and Achenkovil.
The Malabar snakehead is a vulnerable species of snakehead from fresh water in the Western Ghats in India. Until 2011, its scientific name was usually considered to be a synonym of C. micropeltes, the giant snakehead.
Puntius madhusoodani is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae in Puntius genus. The species has been discovered in 2010, named and described jointly by Krishnakumar, Benno Pereira & Radhakrishnan and a study first published in Biosystematica in 2012. It was collected from Manimala River in Kerala, India, which has a running length of only 92 km and empties into the Vembanad Lake. Puntius madhusoodani is named after Prof. Dr. B. Madhusoodana Kurup, as an honour for his contribution towards the taxonomy and conservation of freshwater fishes of Kerala.
The Travancore yellow barb is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. The species was discovered in 2011, and was subsequently named and described by Mathews Plamoottil from the Baby John Memorial Government College, Chavara, Kollam, Kerala in 2014 in the International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies. It was collected from the Kallumkala region of Manimala River in Kerala, India. P. nelsoni is named after Nelson P. Abraham of St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry.
Laubuka fasciata is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to river systems in Kerala, India. It is known as Malabar Hatchet Chela. The fish was first discovered in 1958 in the Anamalai streams by the Keralite fish scientist Eric Godwin Silas. The species was named Fasciata because of it shiny stripe on the body.
The humpback mahseer is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the Indian endemic genus Hypselobarbus in the carp and minnow family Cyprinidae.
Tor remadevii, the orange-finned mahseer, also known as the hump-backed mahseer, is a Critically Endangered species of freshwater fish endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It is restricted to the Kaveri river basin.
Travancoria elongata, which is also known as Periyar loach, is an endangered species of freshwater fish only found in Chalakudy River and Periyar River, from the family of Balitoridae (River loaches). These fishes grows up to 11 centimetres (4.3 in) long. Large-scale capture of these species from rivers in order to export them to the international market as ornamental fish has become a threat to this species. Included in the Red Data Book, they are on the verge of extinction.
