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.
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.
The melon barb is a common species of cyprinid fish that is endemic to rivers in Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats of South India. They live in a tropical climate in water that typically has a pH of 6.0—6.5, a water hardness of around 5 dGH, and a temperature range of 22–26 °C (72–79 °F). This species can also be found in the aquarium trade.
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.
Labeo dussumieri is fish in genus Labeo known to occur in west-flowing rivers of the Western Ghats. Earlier Sri Lankan population was considered as the same species as L. dussumieri, recent phylogenetic and physiological differences suggest that Sri Lankan population is a distinct species, Labeo heladiva..
Schistura sharavathiensis, sometimes known as the Sharavati loach, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Nemacheilidae. It is endemic to the Sharavathi River basin in the central Western Ghats, India. It grows to 2.9 cm (1.1 in) standard length. It is known from a perennial, torrential hill stream with good vegetation cover at 450–480 m (1,480–1,570 ft) above sea level.
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.
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.
Laubuka is a genus of cyprinid fish found in South and Southeast Asia.
The leaping barb or flying minnow, is a species of cyprinid fish found in the Mekong and the Chao Phraya.
The dadio is a cyprinid fish, is rarely seen in the aquarist hobby but is not entirely unlike the Danio nigrofasciatus in appearance. Laubuka dadiburjori is a gold/silver fish with a blue line, it has two colour morphs, one with a distinct blue line, the other with a dotted blue line. Barbels are not present. Like most Danionins, this fish has a tendency to jump. A tight fitting lid with no gaps is recommended. Endemic in India, where both colour morphs co-exist, the fish is found from Tamil Nadu to Goa. It is necessary to avoid making it coexist with big fish which would only make a mouthful of it.
The Indian glass barb is a species of cyprinid fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Indonesia. It has also been reported from the Mekong and Chao Phraya.
The silver hatchet chela is a danionins fish in the family Cyprinidae. Endemic in South Asia, it is found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Fraser's danio or Fraser danio is a freshwater fish endemic to waters in the northern Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra in India.
Rajeev Raghavan is a fisheries scientist and aquatic conservation biologist known for his work on the freshwater fishes of the Indian subcontinent. Rajeev is currently an Assistant Professor at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, India, the South Asia Chair of the IUCN’s Freshwater Fish Specialist Group., and the IUCN Freshwater Fish Red List Authority Coordinator for Asia and Oceania.
Tor malabaricus, the Malabar mahseer, is a fish, a species of mahseer native to southwestern India.
The Malabar swamp eel is a species of troglobitic swamp eel endemic to subterranean springs in Kottayam in the Indian state of Kerala.
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.
Batasio travancoria, the Travancore batasio, is a species of freshwater fish endemic to southern Kerala. It was described from a tributary of Pamba River in Kerala state of India, known as Peruthenaruvi. The species is dependent on high habitat quality and does not tolerate organic wastes in the water. It is classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN.
The Malabar Leaffish is a species of freshwater fish in the family Pristolepididae. It lives in the Western Ghats in India.
