The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri mountain range, is a mountain range that covers an area of 160,000 km2 (62,000 sq mi) in a stretch of 1,600 km (990 mi) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. It contains a very large proportion of the country's flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to this region. The Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas. They influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer. The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain called the Western Coastal Plains along the Arabian Sea. A total of 39 areas in the Western Ghats, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, were designated as world heritage sites in 2012 – twenty of them in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, six in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.
Mahseer is the common name used for the genera Tor, Neolissochilus, Naziritor and Parator in the family Cyprinidae (carps). The name is, however, more often restricted to members of the genus Tor. The range of these fish is from Vietnam in the east and China in the north, through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and across southern Asia including the countries of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh within the Indian Peninsula, plus Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are commercially important game fish, as well as highly esteemed food fish. Mahseer fetch high market price, and are potential candidate species for aquaculture. Several of the larger species have suffered severe declines, and are now considered threatened due to pollution, habitat loss, overfishing and increasing concern about the impacts of unregulated release of artificially bred stock of a very limited number of species.
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.
Sasthamcotta Lake or Sasthamkotta Lake, also categorized as a wetland, is the largest fresh water lake in Kerala, a state of India on the south of the West Coast. The lake is named after the ancient Sastha temple located on its bank. It meets the drinking water needs of half million people of the Quilon district and also provides fishing resources. The purity of the lake water for drinking use is attributed to the presence of large population of larva called cavaborus that consumes bacteria in the lake water. The lake is a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since November 2002.
Horabagrus is a genus of catfish in the family Horabagridae endemic to rivers in the Western Ghats in Kerala and Karnataka, India. H. brachysoma is an important food fish and members of this genus can be found in the aquarium trade.
Horabagrus nigricollaris is a species of catfish endemic to India. It is also known as the "Black collared catfish". It is found only in the Chalakudy River in Kerala, India. This species is an inhabitant of hill streams.
Rita is a genus of fish in the family Bagridae found in South Asia. These species have a single pair of mandibular barbels, an elongated Weberian apparatus firmly sutured to the basioccipital and the sensory canal on the posttemporal enclosed with bone.
The Cape Fear shiner is a North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the central part of the state of North Carolina in the southeastern United States, and is only found in the shallow streams of the Cape Fear River basin. The fish is small and yellow with black lips and a black stripe that runs down the middle of the fish's side. This shiner is normally found in mixed schools with other minnow species. It is unique amongst its genus because it has elongated intestines that are specifically adapted to a primarily herbivorous diet. It can breed twice a year and normally lives for only two or three years in the wild. The males and females are normally similar in appearance but become different colors in the spawning season. This species of shiner was not discovered until 1962.
The Caddo madtom is a species of fish in the family Ictaluridae endemic to the United States. N. taylori was named in honor of William Ralph Taylor, U.S. National Museum, in recognition of his contributions to the knowledge of catfishes. They average 2 to 4 inches long and weigh no more than a few ounces. N. taylori has a small to tiny, fragmented range, but is mostly found in the Caddo, Ouachita, and Little Missouri Rivers in southwestern Arkansas. Ecological studies indicate that dam and bridge construction poses barriers to dispersal and migration of fish in the Ouachita Highlands. IUCNredlist.org states that better information is needed on life history, reproductive biology, and ecology of the Caddo madtom. This species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Limited range makes this species vulnerable to habitat destruction/degradation from impoundment, pollution, and other factors. Robison and Buchanan (1988) stated, "this rare species should be considered threatened due to loss of habitat". Warren et al. (2000) categorized the species as "threatened".
Pangasius pangasius, the Pangas catfish, is a species of shark catfish native to fresh and brackish waters of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan. It has also been introduced to Cambodia and Vietnam. This species grows to a standard length of 3 metres (9.8 ft). This species South Asia, the other being P. silasi from the Krishna River.
The giant pangasius, paroon shark, pangasid-catfish or Chao Phraya giant catfish is a species of freshwater fish in the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae) of order Siluriformes, found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins in Indochina. Its populations have declined drastically, mainly due to overfishing, and it is now considered Critically Endangered.
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.
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.
Agnorhiza bolanderi is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Bolander's mule's ears. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from a narrow section of the Sierra Nevada foothills about 275 kilometers long from Shasta County to Mariposa County. It grows in chaparral and grassland habitat, usually on serpentine soils.
Kryptoglanis shajii is a species of subterranean catfish found in subsurface waters in the Western Ghats in Kerala, India. This cavefish grows to a length of 5.9 centimetres (2.3 in) SL. It is currently the only known member of its genus and family. Although first discovered from underground waters, it has also been seen in dense vegetation in paddy fields and was found to be common in this habitat in the Chalakudy. The species strongly avoids light and feeds on small invertebrates.
Liobagrus obesus, the bull-head torrent catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Amblycipitidae endemic to South Korea, where it occurs in the middle parts of the Geum, Mangyeong, and Yeongsan rivers. This species reaches a length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in) TL.
Hemibagrus punctatus, or Nilgiri mystus, is a species of fish in the family Bagridae. It was first described by Jerdon in 1849. It is endemic to east-flowing rivers in the Western Ghats of India. Of these, the species is likely only found in the Kaveri River; records from the Krishna River may actually be of H. maydelli. However, one record from the west-flowing Bharatappuzha River has been tentatively assigned to this species. The last record of this species was in 1998, and it may have experienced a population decline of nearly 100%; thus, IUCN categorizes the species as critically endangered. It is threatened by habitat degradation by excess siltation, excess fishing, and dam construction. However, based on several specimens caught by fishermen between 2011 and 2012 that likely belong to this species, as well as testimonies from local fishers, moderate populations of this species may still be extant in the region.
Tor tor, commonly known as the tor mahseer or tor barb, is a species of cyprinid fish found in fast-flowing rivers and streams with rocky bottoms in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is a commercially important food and game fish.
Pseudeutropius mitchelli is an endangered species of freshwater fishes endemic to Kerala, India that belongs to the family of Schilbid catfishes. It is known as Malabar patashi.
