| Tor barakae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Tor |
| Species: | T. barakae |
| Binomial name | |
| Tor barakae (Arunkumar & Basudha, 2003) | |
Tor barakae is a species of mahseer native to Manipur, India.
This mahseer was described as a distinct species due to taxonomic differences between it and the other mahseers of the trans-Himalayan region; Tor putitora , Tor tor and Tor mosal . In the description paper, [2] many of the taxonomic features used for comparison do not reference the original descriptions of those species, rather, the referenced data are from more recent studies by Indian ichthyologist Menon. However, compared to Hamilton's [3] original descriptions of the mahseers of trans-Himalaya, the meristic counts for the pectoral fin bear consideration. Tor barakae has 14 rays in this fin, whereas Tor putitora has 15, Tor tor has 18 and Tor mosal has 17.
So far, the little research conducted on this mahseer species has all been done in the Barak River, mostly in the Indian state of Manipur. Given that this is a trans-boundary river, shared between India and Bangladesh, it may be assumed that Tor barakae is a resident of both. Wider distributions within the Brahmaputra River basin are not yet ascertained.
In the Barak Bridge area where the initial studies were conducted, [2] this fish is called 'Nung nga'.
As all other mahseer species are omnivorous, it may be expected that Tor barakae is the same, 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 five 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 South and Southeast Asia, and may be expected to be a major threat to the sustainability of populations.
There has been some work completed on the habitat suitability [4] and capabilities of the river system to support mahseers and other fishes . [5] Given that the Barak River is known to be very dynamic, [6] the plans to straighten and dredge the river for use as part of the national water highway system [7] must raise the level of threat to these fish.
Tor is a genus of cyprinid fish commonly known as mahseers.
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 Assam macaque or Assamese macaque is a macaque of the Old World monkey family native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, the species has been listed as "near threatened" by the IUCN, as it is experiencing significant declines due to hunting, habitat degradation, and fragmentation.
The Barak River flows 900 kilometres (560 mi) through the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam in India and into the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh. Of its length 524 km (326 mi) is in India, 31 km (19 mi) on the Indo–Bangladesh border and the rest is in Bangladesh. The upper part of its navigable part is in India — 121 km (75 mi) between Lakhipur and Bhanga, declared as National Waterway 6, (NW-6) since the year 2016. It drains a basin of 52,000 km2 (20,000 sq mi), of which 41,723 km2 (16,109 sq mi) lies in India, 1.38% (rounded) of the country. The water and banks host or are visited by a wide variety of flora and fauna.
The giant barb, Siamese giant carp, or simply Siamese carp, is the largest species of cyprinid in the world. These migratory fish are found only in the Mae Klong, Mekong, and Chao Phraya River basins in Indochina. Populations have declined drastically due to habitat loss and overfishing, and the giant barb is now considered critically endangered.
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.
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).
Cavefish or cave fish is a generic term for fresh and brackish water fish adapted to life in caves and other underground habitats. Related terms are subterranean fish, troglomorphic fish, troglobitic fish, stygobitic fish, phreatic fish and hypogean fish.
Osteobrama cotio is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Osteobrama. This species had three subspecies named O. cotio cotio, O. cotio cunma and O. cotio peninsularis but these are now considered separate species. This species is found in the drainage basins of the Ganges-Brahmaputra including Jiri River in Manipur, Barak River in Silchar, in Brahmaputra River, Uzan Bazaar in Assam, and in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab in India, and in Bangladesh. The presence of O. cotio in southern India and from the Indus basin of India and Pakistan needs to be confirmed. This species is threatened by extensive loss of habitat caused by pollution and deforestation.
Royal Manas National Park is Bhutan's oldest national park, and the Royal government considers it the "conservation showpiece of the Kingdom" and a "genetic depository" for valuable plants. It has an area of 1,057 square kilometres (408 sq mi) and covers eastern Sarpang District, the western half of Zhemgang District, and western Pemagatshel District.
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.
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.
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.
Tor tambra, the Javan mahseer or ikan kelah in Malay, is a species of mahseer native to Southeast Asia.
Tor ater, the dark mahseer, is a species of mahseer, a fish, native to Central Laos.
Tor malabaricus, the Malabar mahseer, is a fish, a species of mahseer native to southwestern India.
