The kingfishes of the Eastern Himalaya

Transcription

Newsletter of the IUCN-SSC/WI
Freshwater Fish Specialist Group
South Asia &
the Freshwater Fish Conservation
Network of South Asia
No. 02 | 10 January 2014
ISSN: 2321-9033
Ophicephalus leucopunctatus Sykes, 1839 from Sykes, W. H. (1841). On the fishes of the Dukhun. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 2: 349-378.
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Min | #02 | January 2014
Contents
Ichthyofaunal diversity of Kaladan River of Mizoram: can we afford to
conserve?
Rameshori Yumnam, 3-4pp
W. Vishwanath, 5-7pp
Report of new invasive fish, Red-bellied Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri in
Godavari River, Andhra Pradesh
J.A. Johnson, R. Paromita & K. Sivakumar, 8-10pp
A creepy fish of the northern Western Ghats: endemic and threatened
swamp eel Monopterus indicus
Mandar S. Paingankar, Unmesh Katwate & Neelesh Dahanukar, 11-14pp
Aquarium hobby bringing species to the attention of science
J.D. Marcus Knight, 16-20pp
How long will social beliefs protect the pride of River Savitri?
Chetana Katwate, Rajendra Pawar, Vishwas Shinde, Deepak Apte &
Unmesh Katwate, 21-24pp
Fighting against all odds: the struggle for existence among hill stream
loaches of northern Western Ghats
Ashwini Keskar, Anand Padhye & Neelesh Dahanukar, 25-29pp
Freshwater fish papers published in print and online (open-access) Journal
of Threatened Taxa (2009-2013) 30-32pp
Freshwater Fish Specialist Group - South Asia: new members
Name
Email
Institution
Field of expertise
J.A. Johnson
jaj@wii.gov.in
Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India
Taxonomy, biology and ecology
Ramani
Shiratana
r_shirantha@hotmail.
com
National Aquatic Resources Research and
Development Agency, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Freshwater conservation biology and
aquatic ecology
Jyoti Sharma
palki87@yahoo.co.in
Dr. Sarojini Naidu Government College,
Bhopal, India
Fish Genetics, Mahseer
Manavalan
Murugan
muruganbt@gamil.com
Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education,
Kumaracoil, Tamil Nadu, India
Molecular Taxonomy, geometric
morphology and osteology, Labeo,
Puntius, Barilius
2
Ichthyofaunal diversity of Kaladan River of Mizoram: can we afford to
conserve?
Rameshori Yumnam
DBT Project Fellow, Centre of Advanced Studies, Department of Life sciences, Manipur University, Canchipur, Manipur
795003, India
rameshori.yumnam@gmail.com
The Eastern Himalaya of the Himalaya Biodiversity
Hotspot is bestowed with unique topography, along
with diverse physiographic features and varied
water resources providing a lucrative arena for
ichthyofaunal diversity. Abell et al. (2008) placed
the Kaladan River of Mizoram under the Chin
Hills-Arakan freshwater ecoregion, one of the six
ecoregions of Eastern Himalaya. They indicated the
region to harbor 323–490 fish species with 28–40
endemics.
is part of an exceptional hotspot of freshwater
biodiversity, the exploration and documentation of
ichthyofaunal diversity is still at its infancy and very
little work has been done till date.
During 2010–2013, collection trips carried out in
various parts of the river revealed the occurrence
of 52 species belonging to 31 genera, nine families
and four orders. Vishwanath and his co-workers
from the Manipur University have described 12 new
species of fishes from the drainage namely, Batasio
convexirostrum, Barilius profundus, G. ater, G.
caudimaculatus, G. chimtuipuiensis, G. churamanii,
G. jayarami, G. verucossus, Hara koladynensis,
Pseudecheneis koladynae, Schistura koladynensis
and S. porocephala.
The Kaladan is an independent drainage, which
forms the boundary between parts of Myanmar and
India. It originates in the Chin State in Myanmar,
and then flows into Mizoram, India and back to
Myanmar, traversing a distance of about 350km
before finally draining into the Bay of Bengal, near
Sittwe in the Arakan State. Even though the drainage
The Kaladan River is threatened by habitat
Rameshori Yumnam
The Kaladan River at Saiha District, Mizoram
3
Barilus profundus
Glyptothorax chimtuipuiensis
Transportation in Kaladan
Hara koladynensis
Batasio convexirostrum
Schistura koladynensis
Mass scale fishing using poisonous herbs
modification and degradation, as a result of
increased urbanization. The major threats are due to
the ongoing Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport
Project scheduled for completion in 2014, an inland
waterway along the river course for navigation
purpose; and also the Kaladan Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project which involves the damming of
the river. Additionally, the mass fishing practices
using bleaching powder, dynamiting, electrocution
and herbal fish poisons further aggravates the
situation.
achieved with proper communication, co-operation,
understanding and awareness among the politicians,
scientists, non-governmental organizations and the
common people in a more holistic way.
References
Abell, R., Theime, M. L., Revenge, C., Bryer, M., Kottelat,
M., Bogutskaya, N., Coad, B., Mandrak, N.,
Balderas, S.C., Bussing, W., Stiassny, M. L.J.,
Skelton, P., Allen, G. R., Unmack, P., Naseka,
A., Ng, R., Sindorf, N., Robertson, J., Armijo, E.,
Higgins, J. V., Heibel, T. J., Wikramanayake, E.,
Olson, D., Lopez, H. L., Reis, R. E., Lundberg,
J. G., Sabaj Parez, M. H. and Petry, P. (2008).
Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: A New
Map of Biogeographic Units for Freshwater
Biodiversity Conservation. Bioscience, 58(5),
403–414.
Several species (27%) of the Kaladan River are
under the under the ‘Data Deficient’ category,
and are priority for research including aspects of
taxonomy, population and threats. Conservation has
become an exigency, and as such proper planning
and strategies should be taken up before it is too
late, keeping in mind that the whole conservation
process should not become a ‘fad’. This can be
4
W. Vishwanath
Department of Life Sciences, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal, Manipur 795003, India
wvnath@gmail.com
The freshwater fish genus Semiplotus was
established by Bleeker (1859) to accommodate
Cyprinus semiplotus McClelland, 1839, described
from the Brahmaputra in Assam. The fish is called
‘Rajah Mas’ meaning ‘king fish’. It is said that the
fish was an esteemed food fish and then king would
punish the fishermen if he did not offer a part of
the catch to the king; thus the name. Day (1870)
also described Semiplotus modestus from Akyab
(now Sittwe), Kaladan basin in Myanmar. He also
referred to the fish as ‘Burmese Kingfish’. It is not
known how ‘kingfish’ is suffixed to this species
also. He probably followed the previous species
for adopting this name. Chaudhuri (1919) and
Vishwanath & Kosygin (2000) described S. cirrhosis
Semiplotus semiplotus
and S. manipurensis, respectively, from the Putao
Plains in Myanmar and Challou River, a tributary of
the Tizu in Manipur, India, both from the ChindwinIrrawaddy basin. Thus, four species are so far known
under the genus. These fishes are known for their
high food values. The fishes are often smoked and
dried and sold in the market.
Semiplotus is distinguished from other genera of
Cyprinidae in having a deep body, long dorsal fin
with 20-25 branched rays and the last undivided ray
osseous and strong, prominent thick snout and an
inferior sector mouth, i.e., exposed with cornified
mandibular cutting edge, dentary with a broad
Semiplotus modestus
The four species may be easily identified using the following key:
1.
A mandibular knob at symphysis of lower jaw …
Mandubular knob st symphysis absent
…
2
S. cirrhosis
2.
Last simple dorsal ray serrated posteriorly
Last simple dorsal ray not serrated
S. modestus
3
3.
Tubercles on snout randomly distributed
…
S. manipurensis
on each side of the snout
Tubercles on snout arranged in a transverse row…
S. semiplotus
… …
5
Semiplotus manipurensis
deflected labial surface. It is also characteristic in
having open pores or tubercles on the snout, a
complete lateral line with 27-36 scales and plough
shaped pharyngeal teeth. These characters show
that the fishes are adapted to hill stream mode of
life, feeding on algal slime growing on the bottom
rocks.
Banarescu & Herzig-Straschil (1995) distinguished
Semiplotus of the Eastern Himalaya from Cyprinion
of the Middle East Asia in absence of barbels (vs
present), more number of branched dorsal fin rays
(20-25 vs. 12-17).
The genus is also characteristic in having both
pleisomorphic (presence of post temporal fossa,
PTF) and apomorphic characters (ethmofrontal
fossa, EFF and predorsal bones, PDB anterior to the
Alizarin Red S stained skulls and bones of Semiplotus
manipurensis showing: a. post temporal fossa,
b. ethmofrontal fossa and c. predorsal bones.
Snout with tubercles (L) and sector mouth (R), generic characters
Smoked Burmese Kingfish sold in one market in Saiha district of Mizoram, India
Bleeker, P. (1859). Cospectus systematics cyprinorum. Nat.
Tijdschr. Neder-Indie 20: 421-441
dorsal fin pterygiophores). Semiplotus semiplotus
has been categorized as ‘Vulnerable’ (Vishwanath
et al. 2010). The Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries
(DCWFR) Research, Bhimtal, India, has identified the
fish as a coldwater fisheries resource, and is in the
list of priority species for future research on biology,
captive breeding and farm culture. Although the
other three species are ‘Data Deficient’ due to lack
of any information on distribution, population etc,
it is certain that these are also facing habitat loss,
indiscriminate fishing and climate change. The
kingfishes are therefore conservation dependent
and needs special attention.
Chaudhuri, B. L. (1919). Report on a small collection of fish
from Putao (Hkamti Long) on the northern frontier of
Burma. Rec. Indian Mus. 16(4): 271 -282.
Day, F. (1870). On the freshwater fishes of Burmah.-Part II.
Proc. Zool. Soc. London, (pt 1): 99-101.
Vishwanath, W. & L. Kosygin (2000). Fishes of the cyprinid
genus Semiplotus Bleeker, 1859 with description of a
new species from Manipur, India. Journal of Bombay
Natural History Society, 97(1): 92-102
Vishwanath, W., H.H. Ng, R. Britz, L.K. Singh, S.
Chaudhury, & K.W. Conway, (2011). The status and
distribution of freshwater fishes of the eastern
Himalaya region. In: Allen, D.J., S. Molur & B.A. Daniel
(Compilers). The Status and Distribution of Freshwater
Biodiversity in the Eastern Himalaya. Cambridge, U.K.
and Gland, Switzerland: IUCN, and Coimbatore, India:
Zoo Outreach Organization.
References
Banarescu, P. & B. Herzig-Straschil (1995). A revision of
the species of the Cyprinion macrostomus –group
(Pisces: Cyprinidae). Alln. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. 97 (B):
411-420.
7
Report of new invasive fish, Red-bellied Piranha Pygocentrus nattereri in
Godavari River, Andhra Pradesh
J.A. Johnson, R. Paromita & K. Sivakumar
Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box No. 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
* Corresponding Author: ksivakumar@wii.gov.in
Riverine ecosystems of India have suffered from
intense human intervention resulting in habitat
loss and degradation and as a consequence many
freshwater fish species have become heavily
endangered, particularly in the Ganges and Godavari
basins where heavy demand is placed on fresh
water. This was coupled with irreversible changes in
natural population by introduction of alien invasive
species and diseases. During the last 100 years or so,
several exotic species have been brought to India
for experimental studies in fish and fisheries and
many of them have been introduced into inland
water bodies for improving aquaculture production,
promoting recreational fishing, controlling pests etc.
About 324 alien fish species have been introduced
in India, which includes 291 ornamental fishes, 31
cultivable fishes and two larvicidal fishes (Mandal
2011). Among these invasive species, Brown Trout
Salmo trutto, Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss,
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, Mozambique
Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus and Mosquito
Fish Gambusis affinis are also listed as the worst
invasive fish species in the world (Lowe et al. 2000).
In India, Salmo trutto and Oncorhynchus mykiss
were introduced in Himalayan streams in the early
1900s, but the Rainbow Trout did not do well in
these rivers. However, the Brown Trout became
well established in Himalayan streams and started
breeding in many places. This species has been
regularly restocked by state fisheries departments
as it has been used in sport fishing. Carnivorous
Brown Trout is known to survive on fry and juveniles
of other native fish species. This species is now
observed extending its range within the river basin
(Rajvanshi et al. 2012). Similarly, Mozambique Tilapia
was introduced in southern Indian reservoirs in 1952
to improve reservoir fishery production (De Silva
et al. 2004). Now it has established well in Moyar
River in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar
Lake in Periyar Tiger Reserve and Thenmala River
PAROMITA RAY
Image 1. Red-bellied
Piranha
Pygocentrus
nattereri
recorded
in Godavari River at
Rajamundhri, Andhra
Pradesh
8
with native species for food and other resources,
which will eventually lead to the decline or even
extirpaiton of many native fishes in the river system.
Hence, there is an urgent need to create awareness
among the aquarium keepers, local people and
the government policy makers for minimizing the
risks, including stopping further introduction and
developing eradication programs of this and other
invasive species.
in Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary, all in southern
India (Authors pers. obs.). Decline and extirpation
of native fish diversity by competitive nature of
Mozambique Tilapia have been well reported in
several regions of the world (Pethiyagoda 1994;
Starling et al. 2002; Dupe & Burrows 2008; Attayde
et al. 2011). Likewise, the native mahseer population
has declined drastically probably due to introduction
of exotic carps in reservoirs (Rajvanshi et al. 2012).
Recently, it was reported that the African Catfish
Clarias gariepinus is spreading rapidly across various
drainages in the Western Ghats and other parts
of the country (Krishnakumar et al. 2011). Clarias
gariepinus is a highly predatory carnivorous fish,
feeding largely on fishes and also other animals
including birds (Anoop et al. 2009).
References
Anoop, K., K.S.G. Sundar, B.A. Khan & Lal (2009). Common
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus in the diet of the African
Catfish Clarias gariepinus in Keoladeo Ghana National
Park, India. Indian Birds 5(1): 22-23.
Attayde, J.L., J. Brasil & R.A. Menescal (2011). Impacts of
introducing Nile Tilapia on the fisheries of a tropical
reservoir in north-eastern Brazil. Fisheries Management
and Ecology, 18: 437–443.
BBC (2013). BBC Nature Red-bellied piranhas. BBC Nature
Wildlife.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Redbellied_piranha> Downloaded on 22 July 2013.
CIFRI (2011). Report of Assessment of riverine fisheries and
linking with water quality restoration programme –
river Godavari in Maharshatra. Central inland Fisheries
Research Institute (CIFRI), Mumbai, 110p.
De Silva, S.S., R.P. Subasinghe, D.M. Bartley & A. Lowther
(2004). Tilapias as alien aquatics in Asia and the
Pacific: a review. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No.
453. Rome, FAO. 2004. 65p.
Doupé, R.G. & D.W. Burrows (2008). Thirty years later,
should we be more concerned for the ongoing
invasion of Mozambique Tilapia in Australia? Pacific
Conservation Biology 14: 235–238.
Fink, W.L. (1993). Revision of the piranha genus
Pygocentrus. Copeia 1993(3): 665-687.
IGFA (2001). Database of IGFA angling records until 2001.
IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Jégu, M. (2003). Serrasalminae (Pacus and Piranhas). p.
182-196. In: Reis, R.E., S.O. Kullander & C.J. Ferraris, Jr.
(eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and
Central America. Porto Alegre: Edipucrs, Brasil.
During our recent aquatic biodiversity inventory
in the Godavari River, we recorded a few specimens
of large Piranhas at Dhawaleshwarm barrage
near Rajamundhry (Figure 1). This article serves to
document this record.
Basic Biology and Ecology of Red-bellied Piranha
Pygocentrus nattereri
Red-bellied Piranha is native to the Amazon and
coastal rivers of Brazil where it is common in canals
and interconnected wetlands of Brazil (Sazima &
Machado 1990; Fink 1993). It is a ferocious predator,
feeding largely of fish, insects and crustaceans,
and known to attack healthy animals thereby
influencing distribution and feeding of other fish
(Sazima & Machado 1990; BBC 2013). It can be
easily differentiated by other species of Piranha by
development of reddish tinge to the belly when
fully grown, and juveniles being basically silver in
colour. It reaches a maximum size of 50cm standard
length and has been documented to weigh 3.9kg
(IGFA, 2001).
Observations
In India Red-bellied Pranha was illegally
introduced for aquarium keeping (Bijukumar 2000)
and is now available in most of the aquarium shops.
Our preliminary enquiry in the field revealed that
this species is occasionally found in fisherman catch
at Dhawaleshwarm barrage in Rajamundhry. The
fish is being cultured around the Godavari River
mainly in inland water and canals. As it is a predatory
and aggressive carnivorous fish, it may compete
Krishnakumar, K., A. Ali., B. Perieria & R. Raghavan (2011).
Unregulated aquaculture and invasive alien species:
case of the exotic African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus
in Vembanad Lake (Ramsar wetland), Kerala, India.
Journal of Threatened Taxa, 3(5): 1737-1744; http://
dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2378.1737–44
9
Lowe, S., M. Browne, S. Boudjelas & M. De Poorter
(2000). 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien
Species: A selection from the Global Invasive Species
Database. Published by The Invasive Species Specialist
Group (ISSG) a specialist group of the Species Survival
Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union
(IUCN), 12p.
Mandal, F.B. (2011). The management of alien species
in India. International Journal of Biodiversity and
Conservation 3(9): 467-473.
Raghubanshi, A.S., L.C., Rai, J.P. Gaur & J.S. Singh (2005).
Invasive alien species and biodiversity in India. Current
Science 88(4): 539-540.
Pethiyagoda, R. (1994). Treats to indigenous freshwater
fishes of Sri Lanka and remarks on their conservation.
Hydrobiologia 285: 189 - 201.
Sazima, I. & F.A. Machado (1990). Underwater observations
of piranhas in western Brazil. Environmental Biology
of Fishes 28: 17-31.
Starling, F., X. Lazzaro, C. Cavalcanti & R. Moreira (2002).
Contribution of omnivorous tilapia to eutrophication
of a shallow tropical reservoir: evidence from a fish
kill. Freshwater Biology 47: 2443–2452.
10
© Neelesh Dahanukar
F
F ero
W res ci
a al h ou
N sse lag wat s
ea s o e
r T se at r s
hr d a tu ha
rk
ea s
te
ne
d
I am not a ‘loan’ shark, I am ‘alone’ shark.
I am afraid I may go extinct in the near future.
A creepy fish of the northern Western Ghats: endemic and threatened
Swamp Eel Monopterus indicus
Mandar S. Paingankar1, Unmesh Katwate2 & Neelesh Dahanukar3
1,3
Systematics, Ecology & Conservation Laboratory, Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), 96 Kumudham Nagar,
Vilankurichi Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 035, India.
2
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Hornbill House, Opp. Lion Gate, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai,
Maharashtra 400001, India
3
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Sai Trinity Building, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra
411 021, India.
1
mandarpaingankar@gmail.com; 2theunmesh@gmail.com; 3n.dahanukar@iiserpune.ac.in
On a misty monsoon night, in the muddy alley
ways of the plateaus of the northern Western Ghats,
a snake-like creature lurks and suddenly slinks its
way through the mud and vanishes below the rocks.
This creature, with its tiny eyes and slippery body,
prefers to creep in the mud rather than swim like
most other freshwater fishes in this region. Even
though practically harmless, most people are afraid
of it, simply because it looks like a snake. Commonly
known as Swamp Eels, Monopterus indicus is an
inhabitant of the muddy rivers and is often seen on
the plateaus of the northern Western Ghats during
the monsoon season when it migrates upstream for
breeding.
Monopterus indicus was originally described as
Amphipnous indicus by Silas & Dawson (1961) based
on a holotype and 43 paratypes collected from
Robber’s cave, Mahabaleshwar, a paratype from
Dhobi falls of Mabaleshwar, a paratype from Davri
River near Borivali and a paratype from Kanheri
caves in Mumbai. Type locality of the species, the
Robber’s cave in Mabaleshwar (17.90°N, 73.67°E,
1288m), is a unique type of habitat. Historically,
a significant landmark in the era of Chhatrapathi
Shivaji Maharaj, Robber’s cave is a subterranean
cavern with a perennial water source in the form
of a stream. The cave is more than 100m long with
an average width of 10m. The cave hosts large
Unmesh Katwate
Robber’s cave near Mahabaleshwar
15
Sanctuary (18.75°N, 72.87°E, 52m), Amboli (15.88°N,
74.10°E, 728m) and Chambharli (18.97°N, 73.18°E,
75m). While the species is common in Koyna River
(Jadhav et al. 2011), it is a rare find at Bhogawati,
Amba, Kundalika and Savitri rivers in Raigad District
(Katwate et al. 2012).
Monopterus indicus, unlike most other freshwater
fishes (but similar to other swamp eels), lacks dorsal,
pectoral, ventral and anal fins but possesses a
tapering tail that has a flap like appearance which
might pass off as a rudimentary ray-less caudal
fin with dorsal and anal folds. The gill opening is
reduced to pores on the ventral side of the head
and the fish has irregular rows of scales on its tail.
The largest specimen we have observed was from
Robber’s cave which was about 500mm in length
and 30mm in width.
populations of the fruit bat Rousettus leschenaulti
and Insectivorus bat Miniopterus schreibersii (Korad
et al. 2006). This stinky cave is full of bat guano.
It is surprising that M. indicus not only lives in the
stream full of bat guano but it actually hides inside
the guano mud. Another fish species, Indoreonectes
evezardi, a hill stream loach endemic to peninsular
India, is found in the same locality to keep swamp
eel company.
We have crossed paths with M. indicus on several
occasions and every time the meeting is exciting
and often short because of its swift movements and
disappearance in the rock crevices. We have seen a
good population of M. indicus on the plateau near
Patan (17.47°N, 73.84°E, 1084m) especially during
the monsoon season between July to October.
The species is also occasionally sighted in Tamhini
(18.47°N, 73.44°E, 660m), Kundalika (18.51°N,
73.41°E, 629mASL), Ratnagiri (17.02°N, 73.32°E, 98m),
Panvel (18.90°N, 73.13°E, 62m), Phansad Wildlife
Plateau near Patan a typical habitat of Monopterus indicus
Mandar S. Paingankar
Monopterus indicus from Robber’s cave, Mahabaleshwar
Monopterus indicus inhabits swamps and marshy
areas with soft mud associated with hill streams
and it is adapted to burrowing habits (Dahanukar
2011). In the monsoon season young and adult M.
indicus are often found under rocks in hill streams.
Interestingly, both adult and young are normally
found alone or at the most in two or three numbers
and we have never seen them in larger groups. We
found some adults and juveniles in clear slow flowing
streams of Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary. During the
day time some of the individuals were found to be
buried under boulders and hidden in hanging tree
roots along the stream edges. We didn’t find swift
foraging and feeding activity of Monopterus in
day time. We observed free foraging behavior of
this species during the night. This species has been
Mandar S. Paingankar
Monopterus indicus in its native habitat
mostly seen in a steady position floating in water
and keeping its head on the water surface. In the
captivity we observed air gulping behavior of this
species. This species does not breathe in water; it
gulps in air at the surface and immediately dives
deep inside water. Maximum period of diving and
remaining in water ranges between 3-5 minutes. Our
preliminary observations in captivity suggest that
Monopterus requires free air similar to lung fish or
higher vertebrates. Captive individuals make several
burrows in mud substratum internally encircled by
mucus secreted by fish body, which helps them for
immediate retraction of entire body in burrow once
threatened.
Our initial observations on this fish suggest that it
prefers to eat live earthworms by creating a vacuum
and sucking them. Other than earthworm feeding
we didn’t record any of the feeding behavior of
Monopterus in wild, but captive specimens were
found to be feeding on rotten flesh, dead loach and
aquarium frozen dried worm food. Monopterus
was never observed tracking the prey or attacking
live loaches in captivity even at night. Acceptance
of a dead fish as a feed and complete ignorance
towards live fish prey indicates the scavenger mode
of feeding in Monopterus.
Unfortunately, the species is currently listed as
Vulnerable in IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species
(Dahanukar 2011) because of its restricted distribution
in fragmented locations and threats to its habitat
due to increasing urbanization, deforestation and
recreational activities in mountain areas. The type
locality of the species has relatively less threats.
However, the guano from the cave is sometimes
collected by villagers for use as a fertilizer indicating
that anthropogenic activities are present in the
area. The populations on the plateau near Patan,
however, could be more threatened because of two
reasons. First, the plateau is extensively used for
erecting windmills and in the process of building
these windmills several unique habitats on the
plateaus have been destroyed. Second, deforestation
leading to extensive siltation is modifying habitats
on the mountain tops. Population of Monopterus
found at Ratnagiri was found on lateritic coastal
plateaus. Quarrying laterite rock, blasting for
mango and cashew plantations, use of plateaus for
residential purposes and city garbage disposal on
plateaus are found to be major threats for coastal
plateau inhabitants of Swamp Eels. Extensive
fishing is also an observed threat to Monopterus
population in Panvel and Roha area. Most of the
Neelesh Dahanukar
Monopterus indicus from the plateau near Patan
fishermen catch this species by angling practices and
by using dead loach as bait. Delicacy of this species
is more popular in Raigad District, which is one of
the reasons for overhunting of Swamp Eels. There
is also some evidence that M. indicus is killed by the
people because of the fear arising from its snakelike appearance.
Acknowledgements
ND is supported by INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship,
Department
of
Science
and
Technology,
Government of India. UK is supported by BNHSConservation Department funds and CEPF-ATREE
Western Ghats small grant (CEPF-ATREE-WGhats/
SGP/WGSG186–BNHS_FISHES). We thank Vishwas
Shinde, research field staff of BNHS for assisting
in surveys conducted at Mahabaleshwar. We also
thank Chetana and Abhijeet Gharat for recording
behavioral observation of captive reared specimens.
We are grateful to Dr. Asad Rahmani, Director and
Dr. Deepak Apte, COO for encouragement and
support.
THE EXCLUSIVE
References
Dahanukar, N. (2011). Monopterus indicus. In: IUCN 2013.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2.
<www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 November
2013.
Jadhav, B.V., S.S. Kharat, R.N. Raut, M. Paingankar & N.
Dahanukar (2011). Freshwater fish fauna of Koyna River,
northern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened
Taxa 3(1): 1449-1455; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.
o2613.1449-55
Katwate, U., R. Raut & S. Advani (2012). An overview
of fish fauna of Raigad District, northern Western
Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2569–
2577; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2760.2569–77
Korad, V.S., M.C. Gaikwad & A.L. Koratkar (2006). Record
of composite bat colonies in Robbers’ cave area of
Mahabaleshwar region, Maharashtra State, India
Ecology, Environment and Conservation 12(4): 743748.
Silas, E. G. & E. Dawson (1961). Amphipnous indicus, a new
synbranchoid eel from India, with a redefinition of the
genus and a synopsis to the species of Amphipnous
Müller. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society
58(2): 366-378.
PUNTIU
S CLUB
Farewell to Miss
Kerala
It's a good thing you changed your name to Sahyadria.
You were never a good fit with the crowd anyway.
14
CONNECTING
FISH, RIVERS AND PEOPLE
24th May 2014
© Michel Roggo /WWF Canon
Are you working on rivers, water and migratory fish and looking to enhance
public awareness? Are you concerned about the health of our rivers?
Take part in World Fish Migration Day 2014 on the 24th May. This international
event calls attention to the need to restore the connections in rivers for migratory
fish, to achieve healthy fish stocks and productive rivers.
WHY DO WE CARE?
Migratory fish (like salmon, trout, dourada, shad, lamprey, giant catfish, sturgeon
and eel) are threatened by barriers such as weirs, dams and sluices; built for
water management, hydropower and land drainage. Around the world millions
of people rely on these fishes as their primary source of protein and for their
livelihoods. Water and resource managers, and conservationists are striving to
improve migration routes between and within rivers, deltas and the oceans.
These ‘fishways’ are vital for their survival.
World Fish Migration Day is held to improve the publics’ understanding of the
importance of migratory fish and their needs, as well as healthy rivers. Raising
awareness, sharing ideas, securing commitments and building communities
around river basins are essential aspects of fish passage and river restoration.
On this day, we will connect celebrations and events that start in New Zealand,
and follow the sun; ending as the sun sets on the west coast of North America.
More than 250 locations will be connected worldwide and we are looking for
organizations that want to join this inspiring initiative.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ORGANIZE AN EVENT?
Participating organizations will organize their own event (e.g. activity sessions,
workshops or talks) and outreach communication, under the umbrella of the
World Fish Migration Day. Educational material will be available to share with
your visitors. Wanningen Water Consult & LINKit consult, partnering with
WWF (NL), The Nature Conservancy and the IUNCN SSC/Wetland International
Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, will take care of the central coordination,
international publicity, and maintain the main website. All projects will be highlighted on this website, social media and in the press.
For more information or to organize an event:
Email
herman@wanningenwaterconsult.nl
Phone
0031-6-182 725 72
Web
www.worldfishmigrationday.com
PARTNERSHIP
DEVELOPED BY
Aquarium hobby bringing species to the attention of science
J.D. Marcus Knight
Flat L, Sri Balaji Apartments, 7th Main Road, Dhandeeswaram, Velachery, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 042, India.
jdmarcusknight@yahoo.co.in
Indian Ichthyology runs back in time to the
early 19th century where it formed a small part of
the early exploration notes written by British and
French officers. Though vague and haphazard, the
initial works of Patrick Russell, Francis BuchananHamilton, William Henry Sykes, Achille Valenciennes
and Thomas Caverhill Jerdon are the basis on
which present day Indian ichthyology stands. The
latter half of the century saw more systematic
documentation of Indian ichthyofauna by British
officers like Francis Day and John McClelland. Quite
a few of these Bristish officers were ardent anglers
and some even explained in detail the tackle used
to take some large native fish. However, few like
T.C. Jerdon were also hobbyists, maintaining a few
of the fish they described in aquaria and writing
about their behavior, feeding, growth etc.
The late 20th century saw a boom in the aquarium
hobby in India and South East Asia, with many
native Indian species finding significant value in the
aquarium trade. More and more hobbyists around
the world started showing interest in the little known
native Indian freshwater fish compared to the tankbred tropical fish found in the hobby. Aquarium
fish farmers turned explorers started combing the
waters in their locality for fish that might find
value in the trade. Any new fish that was colourful
or had a unique shape or character was collected
for trade. Species level identification of many such
species was not possible as literature and expertise
was scarce. This however led to the collaboration
of aquarium enthusiasts and ichthyologists paving
the path for many a species to be brought to the
attention of science. One of the first outcomes of
such collaboration is Pethia setnai. This species was
first collected by a fish collector and exporter, who
later described the species in collaboration with a
taxonomist.
Many of the recently described fish species from
India were brought to the attention of science
through the aquarium hobby. Dawkinsia rohani
was collected in the early 1970s for the ornamental
trade; however, as the fish did not have much
ornamental value then, it was forgotten for a long
time till it was eventually described by taxonomists
collaborating with hobbyist. One other similar
species is Pethia nigripinnis which was first collected
in the early 1990s but was recently described by
a hobbyist collaborating with taxonomists. This
encouraging trend of taxonomists collaborating
with the hobby is definitely on the rise with more
species being described assisted by the aquarium
hobby. Native fish enthusiasts were quite familiar
with Dario urops, Pseudolaguvia lapillicola and
Pangio ammophila long before they were known
to science and it was hobbyists who took the effort
to bring them to the notice of taxonomists to get
them formally described. The role aquarium hobby
played in bringing unknown fish to the knowledge
of science can be aptly seen by the number of fish
named after people in the aquarium hobby. Nandus
andrewi and Channa andrao are two species named
after Andrew Rao, an ardent hobbyist turned
collector/exporter who played a fundamental role
in bringing numerous species to the purview of
taxonomists both Indian and foreign. Species like
the recently described Pethia aurea, Dario kajal,
Ompok karunkodu and a dozen other species of
Pseudolaguvia, Psilorhynchus, Erethistoides and
Danionella were described from specimens collected
by him. One other fish that speaks up for the hobby
is Betadevario ramachandrani, probably the only
genus named after a hobbyist in India, was to
honour Beta Mahatvaraj, a passionate hobbyist who
made great efforts to make the material available
for study.
The number of hobby enthusiasts who were
honoured by having a species named after them
is not restricted to India. Very many of the Sri
Lankan species also bear names of people who
were not ichthyologist but enthusiasts who played
an important role in bringing the species to the
knowledge of science. Lepidocephalichthys jonklaasi,
Sicyopus jonklaasi (Rodney Jonklaas); Systomus
martenstyni (Cedric Martenstyn); Puntius bandula
(Ranjit Bandula); Devario pathirana (Ananda
Pathirana); Systomus asoka (Asoka Miwanapalana)
are a few such species. Similarly from Myanmar,
Botia udomritthiruji (Kamphol Udomritthiruj),
Danio tinwini (U Tin Win) were also named after
hobby enthusiasts.
Though many in the aquarium hobby were
honoured for their contributions with fish to
their names, some went unnoticed. Discoveries of
species such as Horabagrus nigricollaris, Travancoria
elongata, Dawkinsia
exclamatio, Osteochilus
longidorsalis etc. from the Western Ghats were
guided by P. P. George, an aquarium fish collector
who also brought Sahyadria chalakkudiensis to the
attention of the public. Even the much acclaimed
Sahyadria denisonii remained unknown for long
to researchers until ornamental fish collectors
discovered it and started to export. Many of the
recently described South Asian Channa (Channa
bleheri, C. pulchra, C. ornatipinnis etc.) are hobby
related discoveries. A few other species like
Carinotetraodon imitator, Pangio apoda, Oreichthys
crenuchoides, Celestichthys margaritatus etc. are
also hobby assisted discoveries.
Maybe the innate passion of a hobbyist to
understand the ecosystem from where the fish
comes from triggers the spirit of exploration,
which may in turn lead to many a discovery. Even
a few species presumed extinct, like Hypselobarbus
lithopidos were rediscovered by hobbyists. To add,
the magnificent Channa barca was also rediscovered
by the hobby. Species such as Pethia canius and
Dawkinsia rubrotinctus have been found valid
and thereby revalidated by hobbyists. Aquarium
enthusiasts have also contributed in range
extensions of known species and have also reported
alien invasive species in freshwater ecosystems.
Though the aquarium hobby has contributed
significantly to the knowledge of native Indian
fish, it has largely been held responsible for species
loss, despite numerous freshwater habitats having
been destroyed by pollution, sand mining, habitat
alteration, destructive fishing methods etc. The
dwindling numbers of Sahyadria denisonii in the
wild has also been linked to the hobby. However,
Sahyadria denisonii is now being produced on a
18
large scale commercial basis in South East Asian fish
farms and whether this mass production has reduced
the pressure on wild stocks has not been considered.
Sahyadria denisonii have even been selectively bred
by ornamental breeders to produce ‘veil tail’ form
and a ‘golden’ form and has also been hybridised
with quite a few Dawkinsia species.
In recent times, it has been highlighted that even
angling when done sustainably has conservation
significance. Similarly the aquarium hobby if
streamlined can also be a tool for conservation. Rather
than blaming the hobby for species loss, hobbyists
can be involved in ex-situ conservation programmes.
Other than Sahyadria denisonii, many other little
known endemic species like Etroplus canarensis,
Ctenops nobilis, Dawkinsia tambraparniei etc. are
frequently bred by hobbyist, giving scope for captive
breeding/reintroduction programmes. Initiatives
such as the Global Freshwater Fish Bio Blitz need to
be given more importance as they would encourage
hobbyists to explore freshwater habitats and share
their findings with ichthyologists thereby paving a
way for collaboration between ichthyologists and
hobbyists. After all, a hobbyist as an individual can
ask for nothing more than a little recognition and
support from the scientific community for all the
effort he puts in to see the species, so cherished by
him, come to the knowledge of science.
Acknowledgements:
I thank Rahul G. Kumar, Beta Mahatvaraj,
Hayath Mohammed and Balaji Vijaykrishnan for
providing valuable inputs and photographs that
helped in writing this article.
19
I am moving to the Western Ghats.
The speed at which they are describing new
species, I think I might have a chance.
20
How long will social beliefs protect the pride of River Savitri?
Chetana Katwate1, Rajendra Pawar2, Vishwas Shinde3, Deepak Apte4 &
Unmesh Katwate5
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Opp. Lion Gate, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai,
Maharashtra 400001, India
1
chetanak72@gmail.com; 2mangrove.pawar@gmail.com; 3rhizhophora.vishwas@gmail.com; 4spiderconch@gmail.com;
5
theunmesh@gmail.com (for correspondence)
Since ages charismatic species like the Tiger has
been considered the “Pride of the Jungle”. Religious
beliefs like God of Forest and the instinctive fear
of the predatory cat has always put it on top of
the list of human interests. A well known belief
among many tribes is that the presence of a tiger
in the forest indicates the forest’s health. Tiger is
an umbrella species and an area protected for the
tiger in effect protects all the other forest dwelling
taxa. But umbrella species conservation may not
be applicable in certain cases like conservation of
habitat specific species or species having narrow
range of distribution outside protected areas.
Western Ghats freshwater systems may also have
such charismatic species which can be used as an
umbrella species. But would this strategy work for
this aquatic system? We pondered on this thought
as we went to our field site at Mahad.
It was on an early cold Novermber morning with
misty roads. We had been hearing stories from the
locals about wild fishes found in Walan Kond and
that is where we were headed. Walan Kond is about
26km east of Mahad. The term “Kond” in the local
language (Marathi) refers to a deep trench found
in river bed. As we stepped down from the vehicle
Image 1: (a) Sacred canyon of Walan Kond at Mahad represents one of the potential fish conservation site in Savitri
River basin. (b) A viable population of Mahseer inhabiting Walan Kond for several years. (c) Cascades and falls in upper
reaches of Kal River supplies rich oxygenated water to Walan Kond throughout the year.
35
Image 2: (a) Mahseer Tor species found during fish survey
at headwaters of Savitri at Shivathar Ghal. (b) Kal River
flows from mountainous chain of “Gherekilla Raigad” and
“Lingoba” has several deep pools, rapids and fall which
seem to be excellent habitats for Mahseer. (c) Shallow
head water of Savitri rich in pebbles and boulders is likely
to be a breeding ground for Mahseer in monsoon.
we heard the rushing sound of water and when we
crossed the bridge we were just awestruck by the
breathtaking beauty of the fall. Mighty Mahseers
Tor sp. (locally known as “Khadas”) of about 3-4
ft long were cruising freely in the water. That was
my first interaction with this river monster. The
locally protected huge population of Mahseer of
Walan Kond (18.2252°N, 73.4902°E, 110m) represents
a potential community fish sanctuary in Western
Ghats.
Walan Kond is on the main channel of Kal River,
a major tributary of Savitri River. The Kal River
encircles “Gherekilla Raigad” flows east to west
towards Mahad. Walan Kond is actually well known
for the deity “Vardayani Mata”of local residents
and indigenous community like Katkari. The idol of
Vardayani Mata is situated on the edge of Walan
Kond and exactly in the middle of the river passage.
There is no roof or temple-like structure associated
with this deity as the idol floods in monsoon. Walan
Kond is one of the biggest water pools present in
Savitri River watershed. We found a total of five such
biologically significant “Kond” or deep pools during
the initial fish surveys conducted across Savitri River
basin. Mahseers generally prefer rapid, deep and
continuously flowing water. Walan Kond seems to
be an excellent habitat for Mahseer. In monsoon
all of these big monsters migrate upstream and
breed. As the monsoon ends all of them come back
and take refuge in Walan Kond. With its depth,
rapid flow, rich oxygen and underwater caves,
Walan Kond acts as an excellent refuge for the
Mahseer. This long stretch of water not only hosts
Mahseer population but it also nourishes viable
population of other fish species like: Labeo calbasu,
Hypselobarbus cf. kolus, Cirrhinus sp., Garra mullya,
Mystus malabaricus, Mystus seengtee, Salmophasia
sp., Anguilla bengalensis, Mastacembelus armatus
etc.
22
Villagers of Walan and tribal peoples like Katkari
seem to be very keen to protect the majestic
mahseer, the pride of their river. This viable and
robust population of mahseers survived all these
years because nobody fishes here. Local people
consider Mahseers as “Children of Vardayani Mata”
or “sacred fish of the Goddess”. People believe the
presence of Tor not only indicates the good health
of the river but also it shows that this sacred river
still has the potential to nurture man. Villagers of
Walan believe that these sacred fish should not be
hunted or eaten and this resulted in community
protection of Tor. Villagers have not just declared
complete fishing ban at Walan Kond but also have
enforced protection by not letting pilgrims fish in
the entire water channel or deposit garbage in the
river. This entire stretch of Walan Kond is about 1½
km long and 30-60 m wide and about 40-60 ft deep.
As Kal River flows perennially this pool maintains
same volume of flowing water throughout the
year. Mahseer Tor is one of the apex predators and
a monster fish of Indian rivers. River supporting a
good population of large mahseers is considered a
healthy system with a sturdy and stable food cycle.
Image 3: (a) Field team of BNHS running a fishing
practice at Mahad with the help of fishermen of Katkari
community. (b) Associated species like Salmophasia boopis
and (c) Dawkinsia filamentosa accompanying Mahseers at
Walan Kond.
The Mahseer population in Walan Kond has
been conserved only because of community beliefs.
Active role of communities in Mahaseer conservation
is well known from many parts of the Western
Ghats. Tilase village, Vaitarana River, Maharashtra;
Nakur Gaya and Yenekkal fish sanctuaries on the
banks of Kumardhara in Dakshin Kannada; temple
fish sanctuaries on the banks of River Gomti in
Uttarakhand are some of the good examples of
community fish sanctuaries. Despite being one of
the 20 mega fishes of the world and a threatened
fish group in India, the Mahaseer species have not
received any legal protection (Pinder & Raghavan,
2013). It is a known fact that Mahaseer fishery is
declining very rapidly in India (Raghavan et al.
2011). Indiscriminate fishing methods like blasting,
overfishing, habitat alteration due to large dams and
pollution are some of the selective anthropogenic
threats responsible for fall in Mahaseer fishery.
As a part of freshwater fish diversity assessment
study in Raigad funded by CEPF-ATREE small grant,
we are conducting extensive surveys to locate
threatened Mahseer population across the study
area. During the initial surveys among six major
river systems of Raigad, we found occurrence of
Mahseers Tor sp. only in watershed area of Savitri
River. Mahseer occurs only in upper stretches of
Savitri at areas like Shivathar Ghal, Walan Kond,
Tar Shivathar, Malusar Villages etc. We didn’t find
any record of Mahseer in lower stretches of Savitri
near areas like Mahad, Poladpur, Birwadi etc. Lower
stretch of Savitri like Mahad, Poladpur and Birwadi
have been declared as industrial zone of Maharashtra
Industrial Developmental Corporation (MIDC) by
state government. Discharge of pollutants from
MIDC area in lower stretches of Savitri have adversely
affected riverine fishery. Mass fish killings are most
23
frequently observed in and around industrial areas.
Community involvement is one of the major aspects
of our current fish project, as a part of the study
we collected secondary data of Mahaseer from
local fishing communities like Katkari and Bhoi.
Most of the local fishing community members
have never found Mahseer (Khadas) since the last
few years at Mahad and Poladpur areas. Some of
the fishermen had recorded Mahseer in middle of
Savitri at Birwadi, but sightings have been limited to
monsoon. The village elders of Katkari community
informed us that Mahseer were one of the major
component of fish catch before industrialization.
Release of effluents and pollutants have severely
affected the Mahaseer population in lower stretch
of Savitri. Industrial effluent released in Savitri has
also affected population of other associated fish
species like Labeo calbasu, Dawkinsia filamentosa,
Anguilla bengalensis and Hypselobarbus cf. kolus.
Along with the city and industrial deposits extensive
sand mining, reclamations and well established
invasive fish species like Oreochromis niloticus, O.
mossambicus, Clarias gariepinus, Gambusia affinis
etc. are some of the noteworthy threats to local fish
fauna of Savitri River (Katwate et al. 2012). In the
earlier study (Katwate et al. 2012) we didn’t find any
records of Mahseer from Savitri River which is mostly
because we only sampled in Mahad area. As part of
the CEPF granted fish project we fished throughout
the watershed area of Savitri. Other than Walan
Kond and Shivathar Ghal we did not find records of
Mahaseer in any other nearby areas.
may pose a threat to Mahseers. Community beliefs
and ethics have protected the Mahseer at Walan but
how long can this community conserve Mahseers in
the face of growing anthropogenic threats? Along
with the community support legal protection is also
needed to protect critical fish habitat like Walan
Kond. Scientific study like identifying phylogenetic
boundary of the species is most needed before
implementing any effective conservation strategies
and policies. This is the right time to act before we
lose this magnificent pride of Savitri.
Acknowledgements
CK, RP, VS and UK are supported with CEPF-ATREE
Western Ghats small grant (CEPF-ATREE-WGhats/SGP/
WGSG186 – BNHS_FISHES) and BNHS- Conservation
Department fund. We thank community members
of Katkari tribe: Shankar Pawar, Parvati Pawar and
Mahadev Koli; villagers of Walan for their assistance
in fish surveys conducted across Savitri River basin.
We are grateful to Dr. Asad Rahmani, Director for
encouragement and support. We also thank Dr.
Neelesh Dahanukar for the contributory discussion
while preparing the manuscript.
References
Loss of habitat and lack of required water
quality have already limited Tor distribution in
lower stretch of Savitri, therefore urgent protection
is needed to conserve remaining upper catchment
population at Walan Kond and Shivathar Ghal. In
addition to this, the recent dam contructions like
Kothurde, Khindwadi, Varandh, Khaire, Vinhere
and Kumbhe-Kal River hydroelectric plant may pose
a direct threat to Mahseer population in Savitri
watershed. Kumbhe-Kal River hydroelectric project
is located at Chatri-Nijampur, Walan is just 7-8 km
downstream away from Chatri-Nijampur. When
the dam construction of this project was initiated
in 2010, release of large amount of water killed
most of the big Mahaseer at Walan Kond. Release
of uncontrolled amount of water may change
hydrodynamics of the natural water system which
24
Raghavan, R., A. Ali, N. Dahanukar & A. Rosser (2011). Is
the Deccan Mahseer, Tor khudree (Sykes, 1839) (Pisces:
Cyprinidae) fishery in the Western Ghats Hotspot
sustainable? A participatory approach to stock
assessment. Fisheries Research 110: 29-38.
Pinder, A.C. & R. Raghavan (2013). Conserving the
endangered Mahseers (Tor spp.) of India: the positive
role of recreational fisheries. Current Science 104(11):
1472-1475.
Katwate, U., R. Raut & S. Advani (2012). An overview
of fish fauna of Raigad District, northern Western
Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(5): 2569–
Sengupta, S.K. (2009). National Register of Large Dams,
Central Water Commission, New Delhi, India, http://
www.cwc.nic.in/main/downloads/National%20
Register%20of%20Large%20Dams%202009.pdf.
Fighting against all odds: the struggle for existence among hill stream
loaches of northern Western Ghats
Ashwini Keskar1, Anand Padhye2 & Neelesh Dahanukar3
1,3
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Sai Trinity, Sus Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharahtra 411021,
India.
1
Department of Biodiversity, Abasahab Garware College, Karve Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India.
2
Department of Zoology, Abasahab Garware College, Karve Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India
3
Laboratory of Systematics, Ecology & Conservation, Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), 96 Kumudham Nagar,
Vilankurichi Road, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India.
1
ashwinik@iiserpune.ac.in; 2anand.padhye@mesagc.org; 3n.dahanukar@iiserpune.ac.in
Highlights: Fighting against the water current, the hill stream loaches live their life in the fast lane and
occupy niches that only few others can dare to dwell in. With their beautiful color patterns, hill stream
loaches are often found in rapidly flowing waters, clinging on to the rocks and plants, swiftly swimming in
torrents and suddenly disappearing under the pebbles and gravel. Relatively fewer studies in the northern
Western Ghats of India, have rendered the true diversity of loaches from this region to be obscure.
Recreational activities on the mountain tops, habitat modifications, siltation and pollution are rapidly
degrading the pristine habitats that these loaches are accustomed to live in. These beautiful fishes are
also exported trough aquarium pet trade in high numbers. Unless we care, it will be just a matter of time
before these beautiful jewels disappear from the face of earth.
Image 1. Known species of loaches from Western Ghats of Maharashtra*.
* photograph of Balitora laticauda is reproduced from Bhoite et al. (2012; Journal of Threatened Taxa 4: 3038-3049).
Image 2. Loaches in life. (a) Acanthocobitis sp. (b) Schistura sp. (c, d) Indoreonectes sp.
The hill streams of the northern Western Ghats
are alive with the freshwater loaches mesmerizing
us with their beautiful colors, their swift movements
and a continuous attempt to defy the flow of water
against which they swim. Hill stream loaches are
freshwater fishes belonging to order Cypriniformes
and they come under four families namely
Balitoridae, Botiidae, Cobitidae and Nemacheilidae.
The Western Ghats of India hosts about 43 species
of loaches belonging to 12 genera out of which 39
species are endemic to this zoogeographical region
(Dahanukar & Raghavan 2013). The northern parts
of the Western Ghats, from Amboli in the south to
Saputara in the north, hosts seven known species
of loaches (Image 1) namely Balitora laticauda
Bhoite, Jadhav & Dahanukar, 2012 from Balitoridae;
Botia striata Narayan Rao, 1920 from Botiidae;
Lepidocephalichthys
thermalis
(Valenciennes,
1846) from Cobitidae and Acanthocobitis mooreh
(Sykes, 1839), Indoreonectes evezardi (Day,
1872), Nemacheilus anguilla Annandale, 1919,
Nemachilichthys ruppelli (Sykes, 1839) and Schistura
denisoni (Day, 1867) from Nemacheilidae. However,
several known species of loaches are probably
species complexes and there could be several
undescried species of loaches yet unknown to
science. Although there are also records of fishes
such as Acanthocobitis botia (Hamilton, 1822), A.
26
sinuatus (Day, 1870), Schistura striata (Day, 1867)
and Lepidocephalichthys guntea (Hamilton, 1822),
all these records (Tonapi & Mulherkar 1963; Wagh
& Ghate 2003; Kharat et al. 2001; Chandanshive
et al. 2007) need taxonomic validations. In life,
loaches have beautiful banding patterns (Image 2),
which are often used as identification criteria for
loach genera and species. However, these banding
patterns could show age, gender and population
variations and identification based solely on color
patterns could be misleading.
Loaches inhabit fast flowing streams and rivers
but can also be found in small ditches in pools
within the river or stream flow (Image 3). In large
rivers they are normally found associated with the
river bank vegetation and submerged roots of
trees. A stream with pebble and gravel as the bed
are preferred by the loaches. Loaches are also fond
of hiding below the rocks and stones submerged
in the water and use it as a defence mechanism
when there is potential threat in the water. Loaches
are mainly substrate feeders and they relish on
phytoplankton such as diatoms and desmids and
crustaceans such as daphnia and ostracods. Although
enough data on their reproductive behaviour is not
available, based on the presence of young in JulySeptember indicates that the loaches in northern
Image 3. Habitats of loaches in northern Western Ghats: (a) hill streams of Kundalika Valley, (b) hill stream at Gupta
Bhima, the origin of Bhia River, (c) summer time refuge in the ditches of a dried stream of Plus Valley in Mulshi, and
(d) stream with pebbles, gravel and stones at Ghod River origin.
Western Ghats breed during the monsoon season.
In the case of Acanthocobitis mooreh, it has been
suggested that the species breeds twice in a year
once during August-September and second time
during February-March (Kharat et al. 2008).
While most of the loaches in the northern
Western Ghats migrate upstream for breeding
during the monsoon season perhaps the most
notable migrant is Indoreonectes evezardi. This
species can actually migrates right up to the first
order streams in the mountain tops for breeding.
This migration is a tedious process because of the
27
high water flow and rapid currents second only by
the steep slops of water falls which are sometimes
several feet deep. It a miracle how Indoreonectes
evezardi copes up with these hindrances and occupy
the niches in the first order streams, which hardly
any other fish can inhabit. While, some hill stream
loaches, like Balitora laticauda are known to have
padded fin rays in pectoral and pelvic fins, no such
structures are known for other species including
Indoreonectes evezardi. Further studies on the
loaches of the northern Western Ghats are essential
to understand how they have evolved to cope up
with their life in the torrential streams.
Image 4. Some loach fishing methods from Western Ghats of Maharashtra. (a) Water is channeled through a bamboo
basket, (b) a false stream bed is made up of bamboo sheet and a bamboo basket is hidden under it, (c) stick with
worms tied on its end is held in water for some time till loaches start feeding on the worms and the attached loaches
are collected in a strainer, and (d) collected loaches.
Loaches do not form a part of a major fishery but
they are either caught by local people during the late
monsoon and early winter months for consumption
or are collected by Katkari tribe for selling in the
local fish markets. Normally, Katkari tribe people
catch the loaches with a cloth by using it like a drag
nets, however there are other three methods which
are also used (Image 4). Because loaches do not
form a major part of fisheries, fishing is not a threat
to the loaches of the northern Western Ghats. This
is also evident from the population dynamics of
Acanthocobitis mooreh, which has suggested that
fishing mortality is low in the species (Kharat &
Dahanukar 2013).
Nevertheless, there are other anthropogenic
stressors which might be more threatening to the
28
loaches of the northern Western Ghats. Recreational
activities on the mountain tops, especially in the
hill stations like Mahabaleshwar, Bhimashankar
and Matheran has severely affected the associated
biodiversity because of extensive tourism. Such
activities lead to organic and inorganic pollution
of the streams and rivers. Habitat modifications
brought about by deforestation could be even
more severe because the loss of riparian vegetation
leads to siltation and the habitats such as gravels
and pebbles, which forms the breeding grounds
for the loaches, might get lost. Several, pristine
habitats on the mountain tops near the plateaus
at Patan and Chalkewadi are lost because of the
erections of windmills. It has also been suggested
that the introductions of alien invasive fishes such
as Guppies and Gambussia could also have affected
some populations of loaches on the mountain tops,
especially from the forts of the northern Western
Ghats at Rajgad, Sinhagad and Harishchandra gad
(Paingankar & Dahanukar 2013). In addition, because
of their beautiful color patterns several species are
in the aquariu trade. Raghavan et al. (2013) have
reported extensive export of the threatened and
endemic loach Botia striata raising concern for
conservation.
While the loaches have evolved for millions of
years to defy the water currents, their current struggle
for existence is due to the different threats from
the anthropogenic interferences. The populations
of loaches have severely declined in several parts
of the northern Western Ghats. Urbanization has
claimed the extirpation of several populations
including the ones in the Pune city and its outskirts
and several species such as Acanthocobitis mooreh,
Indoreonectes evezardi and Nemachilichthys
ruppelli, which were originally described from Pune,
are no longer found in this region. Loaches such
as Botia striata and Nemachilichthys ruppelli are
regularly caught from the wild in large numbers from
Satara, Kolhapur and Sangali districts and are sold
to aquarium fish exporters. Unless we care and take
appropriate actions on the habitat modifications
and unsustainable harvesting of the loaches from
this region, it will be only a matter of time before
we loose this biological heritage forever.
Acknowledgements
Neelesh Dahanukar is supported by DST-INSPIRE
Faculty Fellowship. Ashwini Keskar and Anand D.
Padhye thank the Principle and Head, Departments
of Biodiversity and Zoology, Abasaheb Garware
29
College, Pune,
facilities.
for
providing
infrastructural
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31
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ISSN: 2321-9033 (online) Editor: Sanjay Molur
Edtorial Advisor: Waikhom Vishwanath
No. 2 | 10 January 2014
FFSG-SA Co-chairs: Rajeev Raghavan & Waikhom Vishwanath
Min is the Newsletter of the Freshwater Fish Specialist Group-South Asia (FFSG-SA), and
an education activity under Threatened Taxa.
Min is published by ZOO and WILD as a service to the freshwater fish conservation
community as well as conservation actioners and enthusiasts of South Asia.
Freshwater Fish Special Group-South Asia
c/o Zoo Outreach Organization / Wildlife Information Liaison Development
96 Kumudham Nagar, Vilankuruchi Road
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India.
Ph: +91 422 2665298, 2665450; Fax: +91 422 2665472
Email: herpinvert@gmail.com
Min is available online at
www.zoosprint.org/Newsletters/Min.htm
32

The kingfishes of the Eastern Himalaya

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