Biology:Tor remadevii
| Orange-finned mahseer | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Tor |
| Species: | T. remadevii
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| Binomial name | |
| Tor remadevii Kurup & Radhakrishnan, 2007
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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 .[2] It is restricted to the Kaveri river basin.
It can be distinguished from other mahseer by the prominent hump originating above the pre-opercle, a distinctive kink in the pre-opercule, a terminal mouth position, and its bright orange caudal fin. It is considered a high-quality game fish, and has been proclaimed by anglers as "the largest and hardest fighting freshwater fish in the world".[3]
Conservation Issues
Among the reasons for the species' extreme threat status is the introduction of non-native mahseers Tor khudree [4] and Himalayan golden mahseer (Tor putitora) [5] to the wider Kaveri river basin. Also endangering this species is the heavy construction of dams along the Kaveri and tributaries, as well as the use of dynamite fishing.[6] These and other factors including loss of riparian cover, industrial and urban pollutions, irrigation and abstraction, plus climatic changes in monsoon weather patterns led to a heavy crash in hump-backed mahseer populations around 2004.
Despite this endangered status, the general lack of a formal scientific name had previously hampered efforts to protect the species. However, a 2018 study found that the orange-finned mahseer was in fact conspecific with Tor remadevii, a little-known species identified in 2007 based on 19 individuals [7] sampled from the Pambar River in 2004.[8] This has allowed the species as known from historic records across the whole river basin to finally gain a scientific name and an updated Red Listing. These will both be of help for future conservation efforts.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Pinder, A.; Katwate, U.; Dahanukar, N.; Harrison, A. (2018). "Tor remadevii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T56096394A56717605. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T56096394A56717605.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/56096394/56717605. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ↑ "Tor remadevii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/56096394/56717605. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
- ↑ DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00673
- ↑ https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34337/1/Pinder%20et%20al_JoTT_2020.pdf
- ↑ "Tales from Velimeen Land". 20 August 2021. https://www.mahseertrust.org/post/tales-from-velimeen-land.
- ↑ "Can its scientific name save India's famed hump-backed mahseer?" (in en). Research Matters. 2018-06-22. https://researchmatters.in/news/can-its-scientific-name-save-india%E2%80%99s-famed-hump-backed-mahseer.
- ↑ Kurup, B Madhusoodana; Kurup, B. Madhusoodana; Radhakrishnan, K. V. (23 January 2024). "Tor Remadevii, A New Species of Tor (Gray) from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pambar River, Kerala, Southern India". The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 107 (3): 227––230. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/289973.
- ↑ Pinder, Adrian C.; Manimekalan, Arunachalam; Knight, J. D. Marcus; Krishnankutty, Prasannan; Britton, J. Robert; Philip, Siby; Dahanukar, Neelesh; Raghavan, Rajeev (2018-06-20). "Resolving the taxonomic enigma of the iconic game fish, the hump-backed mahseer from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India" (in en). PLOS ONE 13 (6): e0199328. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199328. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 29924871. Bibcode: 2018PLoSO..1399328P.
Wikidata ☰ Q5713492 entry
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