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 Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in scattered subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. It closely resembles the Australian snubfin dolphin and was not described as a separate species until 2005. It has a slate blue to a slate gray color. Although found in much of the riverine and marine zones of South and Southeast Asia, the only concentrated lagoon populations are found in Chilika Lake in Odisha, India and Songkhla Lake in southern Thailand.
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.
The Mekong freshwater stingray, Hemitrygon laosensis, is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, restricted to the Mekong and Chao Phraya Rivers in Laos and Thailand; the occurrence in Chao Phraya is considered an introduction. Measuring up to 62 cm (24 in) across, this ray has an oval pectoral fin disc, a tail with both upper and lower fin folds, and a midline row of spine-like dermal denticles. A characteristic feature of this species is its bright orange underside. The Mekong freshwater stingray preys on invertebrates and is aplacental viviparous. It has been assessed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as it is threatened by overfishing and habitat degradation.
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).
Schistura khamtanhi is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus most speciose genus in the stone loach family, Schistura. It is found in the Kong River basin in Laos and in the main Mekong river in Cambodia and Laos where it is abundant, being an important quarry species for the fish traps at Kohne Falls. It inhabits rapids and Sony bottomed stretches of the main Mekong and its tributaries and it migrates past the Kohne Falls in January and February annually. It is the only member of the genus Schistura which is known to be migratory. The specific name honours Khamtanh Vatthanatham, a Fisheries Programme Officer of the Mekong River Commission who was very helpful to the Maurice Kottelat during his 1999 survey, in which this species was discovered.
Balitora lancangjiangensis is a species of hill-stream loach from the Mekong and Red River basins. Sources differ in distribution, but all list Yunnan (China) and Laos, and at least the International Union for Conservation of Nature also lists Vietnam, Burma, and Thailand.
Cyprinus rubrofuscus, the Amur carp, is a species of cyprinid fish, and is the wild form of the well-known koi. It is widespread in the fresh waters of eastern Asia, native to China, Vietnam and Laos from the Amur to Red River basins, and has also been introduced outside its native range. It is known for its muddy flavor and boniness, hence, it is not commonly eaten by locals except when stewed.
Gyrinocheilus aymonieri is a freshwater fish native to large parts of Southeast Asia. It is of interest as a local food source and for the aquarium trade. Its common names include honey sucker, sucking loach and Chinese algae eater; the FAO-endorsed common name is Siamese algae eater. The black line on the side of a true Siamese algae eater ends at the back of its tail fin and not the beginning.
The Chinese rice fish is a species of fish in the genus Oryzias. This freshwater fish occurs in swamps, stagnant parts of streams, rice fields and marshes, and is up to 3.1 cm (1.2 in) long. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Japanese rice fish. The natural range of the Chinese rice fish is in East and Southeast Asia, including the Yangtze, Mekong, Irrawaddy, Salween, Red River and Nanpangjiang basins. It has been introduced to Kazakhstan and Russia ; also spreading in the Azov basin and has been discovered in the Obytichna River in Ukraine.
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 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 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.
