| Tor ater | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Tor |
| Species: | T. ater |
| Binomial name | |
| Tor ater (Roberts, 1999) | |
Tor ater, the dark mahseer, is a species of mahseer, a fish, native to Central Laos.
Tor ater is slightly different from other mahseer, although possessing many typical Cyprinidae features. This mahseer has relatively small scales, with 30 or 31 along the lateral line, but still has a large head comparative to body depth. Compared to another small-scaled mahseer of the Mekong basin, Tor polylepis, Tor ater differs by having slightly larger scales, fewer gill rakers and a concave-shaped snout. . [2]
These fish are very little known, even among local fishermen in the Nam Theun watershed where they are found. The type locality of Tor ater is Ban Talang, in the Nam Theun watershed, part of the Mekong basin, in central Laos. [3]
It may be expected that Tor ater has similarities with all other mahseer species, being omnivorous, with a diet that likely includes aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, fruit and vegetation, small amphibians and other fish. It would seem probable that adult fish access headwaters for spawning during high water conditions.
This species is currently assigned as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Given that the species is identified from the capture of only three specimens, and that little work has been done beyond the initial identification, the major constraining factor in any conservation strategy is the complete lack of understanding of the distribution and ecology of the species and how or if it interacts with other local mahseer species within the same habitat. With other mahseer species, the main threats are: loss of habitat due to urbanisation, encroachment on flood plains, dam building, sand extraction and pollution. Destructive fishing methods like dynamite, poisoning and electricity are in common use throughout Southeast Asia, and may be expected to be a major threat to the sustainability of populations.
The Chao Phraya is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
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 north and China in the south, through Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and across southern Asia including the Indian Peninsula, 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.
The Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project, or simply NT2, is a hydroelectric dam on the Nam Theun River in Laos. Commercial operation of the plant began in April 2010. The scheme diverts water from the Nam Theun, a tributary of the Mekong River, to the Xe Bang Fai River, enabling a generation capacity of 1,075 MW, from a 350 m (1,148 ft) difference in elevation between the reservoir and the power station.
Nam Ngum is a 354 km long river in Laos. It is a major tributary of the Mekong River.
Tor khudree, the Deccan mahseer, Khudree mahseer, or black mahseer, is a freshwater fish of the carp family found in major rivers and reservoirs of India and Sri Lanka. Found throughout India, following large-scale introductions of artificially-bred fish across the country, but found of the largest size and in the greatest abundance in mountain or rocky streams.
The fish as originally described by Sykes in his November 1838 paper 'On the Fishes of the Dukhun' as Barbus khudree, is a silvery-bluish coloured fish, with blood red fins or fins tipped with a bluish tinge. The type locality is the Mula-Mutha River close to the Indian city of Pune, a part of the Krishna River basin.
Although there have been efforts to artificially breed this mahseer since the early1970's, there is no way to determine if these fish are Tor khudree, as the populations within the type locality have gone extinct.
The wildlife of Laos encompasses the animals and plants found in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country in southeastern Asia. Part of the country is mountainous and much of it is still clad in tropical broadleaf forest. It has a great variety of animal and plant species.
Tor putitora, the Putitor mahseer, Himalayan mahseer, or golden mahseer, is an endangered species of cyprinid fish that is found in rapid streams, riverine pools, and lakes in the Himalayan region. Its native range is within the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. It is a popular gamefish, once believed to be the largest species of mahseer, and can reach up to 2.75 m (9.0 ft) in length and 54 kg (119 lb) in weight, though most caught today are far smaller. It is threatened by habitat loss, habitat degradation and overfishing, and it already has declined by more than an estimated 50%. This omnivorous species is generally found near the surface in water that ranges from 13 to 30 °C (55–86 °F).
Systomus jacobusboehlkei is a species of cyprinid fish native to the lower Mekong and Chao Phraya Basins of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. It inhabits marshlands and floodplains, swamps, and small, slow-flowing tributaries. It is present in local food fisheries, along with other small species. This species can reach a length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in) SL.
Schistura atra is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura. This species has only been recorded from the drainage systems of the Nam Theun and Nam Gnouang, tributaries of the Mekong, in Laos. It can be found in the parts of streams with deep water and fast currents where it lives among the rocks. The lower parts of the basins it occurs in have been impacted by damming and this species has probably been extirpated from these area but it continues to survive upstream of the reservoirs. The habitat of this fish is affected by deforestation, agriculture and gold mining as well as the dams.
Schistura cataracta is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura. It occurs in the Nam Theun and Nam Gnouang, in the Mekong basin of Laos. It prefers stretches of rivers with fast current and a stony or rocky substrate, but it does occasionally occur over gravel or sandy substrates. It can also be found in reservoirs, albeit at low densities and dams are the biggest threat to this species.
Tor douronensis, also known as Labeobarbus douronensis, is a species of ray-finned fish of the family Cyprinidae in the genus Tor. This Asian fresh water river carp can be discovered in southern Thailand, east to Vietnam and south to Indonesia. The species is known from the Chao Phraya and Mekong rivers.
This fish has been attributed to Valenciennes however, in his original notes, he claims that the fish he described "formed part of the collection made in Java by Kuhl and Van Hesselt; they named it Dourr." Certainly, the type locality is Java, in Indonesia and the holotype is lodged at Bogor Zoology Museum.
Tor tambroides, known as empurau in Malay, is a species of mahseer native to Southeast Asia.
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.
Scaphiodonichthys acanthopterus is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. It is found in clear, fast-moving streams and tributaries of the Mekong, Nam Xam, Da and Chao Phraya river basins in Indochina. S. acanthopterus is most commonly found in waterways with a rocky bottom and under complete tree cover.
Tor sinensis, the Chinese or Red mahseer is a species of mahseer native to the Mekong River. It is known with certainty only from Yunnan, China; reports from Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand require confirmation.
It is one of four currently valid species described from China, the others being Tor laterivittatus, Tor polylepis, and Tor yingjiangensis.
Nam Kading National Protected Area is a national protected area in Bolikhamsai Province in central Laos. This rugged and largely inaccessible park, cut through by its namesake Nam Kading river, is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, some endangered. Due to its ruggedness, the park lacks any significant human settlement.
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.
Tor tambra, the Javan mahseer or ikan kelah in Malay, is a species of mahseer native to Southeast Asia.
Tor barakae is a species of mahseer native to Manipur, India.
Tor malabaricus, the Malabar mahseer, is a fish, a species of mahseer native to southwestern India.
