| Tor malabaricus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tor malabaricus in Karnataka, India | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Tor |
| Species: | T. malabaricus |
| Binomial name | |
| Tor malabaricus Jerdon, 1849 | |
Tor malabaricus, the Malabar mahseer, is a fish, a species of mahseer native to southwestern India.
This mahseer possesses many typical Cyprinidae features, with a slim, torpedo-shaped body, plus large head and scales, and four barbels at the corners of the mouth. In the original description, Jerdon [2] says: "Head to whole body as 1:4; height 3 1/2 times in its length... 23 scales along its body." as among the identification characteristics.
Tor malabaricus may be confused with juvenile Tor remadevii, but the distributions should be very different, with Tor remadevii only to be found within the basin of the eastwards-flowing Cauvery River.
There have been several recent papers on the genetics of Tor malabaricus and other mahseer species of India,. [3] [4] These papers may help in future identification, although comparisons between Tor malabaricus and Tor khudree should be viewed carefully as despite Pavan-Kumar et al. reporting that "Individuals of Tor putitora, Tor khudree, Tor tor, Tor mahanadicus and Tor malabaricus were collected from respective type locations [4] ", it is known that Tor khudree is no longer to be found at the type locality. [5]
This mahseer is confined to the west-flowing rivers and streams of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu [6] and Kerala. [7]
It may be expected that Tor malabaricus 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, although as it inhabits the faster, shorter rivers draining westwards along the Western Ghats, migrations would likely be shorter than other species.
This species is currently assigned as Endangered by the IUCN. The major constraining factor in any conservation strategy is the relative lack of understanding of the distribution and ecology of the species and how it interacts with other local fish species within the same habitat.
As 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.
In many of the rivers that have, historically, held Tor malabaricus, an emerging threat is deliberate stocking of the mahseer species from Maharastra, Tor khudree. [8] The spread of this fish poses problems for native stocks and it must be considered an invasive species. [9]
It seems likely that the fish deliberately poisoned in a temple pool in Shishla, Karnataka in 1996 would have been Tor malabaricus. [10] Unfortunately, these fish were replaced with Tor khudree stocks from artificial breeding programmes, thus adding to the pressures on native stocks of fish. Temple pools, while useful repositories of local stocks are also extremely vulnerable to diverse habitat pollution incidents. [11]
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.
Tor is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cyprinidae, the family which includes the carps, barbs and related fishes. The fishes in this genus, and some related genera, are commonly known as mahseers. These fishes are found in Asia.
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.
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.
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 Golden Mahseer, Putitor mahseer, or Himalayan 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 was reported to be found in the Salween river, the natural border between Thailand and Myanmar as well, but the number is very rare, only three times in 28 years.
The mullya garra or sucker fish is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Garra. It is found in streams and rivers throughout India except for Assam and the Himalayas. Reports of the species from Nepal have not been verified.
Neolissochilus wynaadensis, the Wayanad mahseer, is a species of cyprinid fish. It is endemic to the Wyanad Plateau and its surroundings in the southern Western Ghats, India. It occurs in fast-flowing rivers and streams with rock substrates. This species can reach a length of 50 centimetres (20 in) TL. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries.
The Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Ramanagar districts of Karnataka, India. The Cauvery River passes through its midst. An area of 510.52 km2 (197.11 sq mi) was established as Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on 14 January 1987 under Section 18 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 with the objective of providing protection, conservation and development of Wildlife and its environment. The sanctuary was expanded to its current area of 102,753 hectares in 2013. On its east, it adjoins Dharmapuri forest division of Tamil Nadu state.
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.
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.
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.
B. Madhusoodana Kurup is an Indian fisheries researcher, academic and administrator. He is the Founder Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Cochin and also served as the third Vice Chancellor of Shri Venkateshwara University, Gajraula, Uttar Pradesh. He has established and successfully developed the first Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University in the country. He did his postdoc from Fish Culture and Fisheries division, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands. He served as UGC Professor (Fisheries) at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) for over eighteen years.
The humpback mahseer is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the Indian endemic genus Hypselobarbus in the carp and minnow family Cyprinidae.
Osteochilichthys nashii, Nash's barb, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae, the family which includes the carps, barbs, minnows and allies. This fish is endemic to the Western Ghats in Kerala and Karnataka in southern India.
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, 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 barakae is a species of mahseer native to Manipur, India.
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