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Mahseer

Mahseer
Tor tambroides
Tor tambroides
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Cyprininae
Genera

Tor Gray, 1834
Neolissochilus Rainboth, 1985
Naziritor Mirza & Javed, 1985

Golden mahseer (Tor putitora) in Babai River, Nepal

Mahseer is the common name used for the genera Tor, Neolissochilus, Naziritor and Parator in the family Cyprinidae (carps).[1][2][3] The name is, however, more often restricted to members of the genus Tor.[4] 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.[5][6][7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

The taxonomy of the mahseers is confusing due to the morphological variations they exhibit. In developing strategies for aquaculture and propagation assisted rehabilitation of mahseer species, resolution of taxonomic ambiguities is needed [10] and adherence to IUCN stocking guidelines [11] must be followed.

Mahseers inhabit both rivers and lakes, with some species believed to ascend into rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding. Like other types of carps, they are omnivorous, eating not only algae, crustaceans, insects, frogs, and other fish, but also fruits that fall from trees overhead.

The first species from this group were scientifically described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822, and first mentioned as an angling challenge by the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1833, soon becoming a favorite quarry of British anglers living in India.[12]
The golden mahseer Tor putitora was previously believed to be the largest member of the group and one of the largest cyprinids; it has been known to reach 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in) in length and 54 kg (119 lb) in weight, although specimens of this size are rarely seen nowadays.[1]
Currently, the largest of the mahseer is Tor remadevii, which is known to grow to in excess of 120 lb (54 kg). In 2011, UK angler Ken Loughran landed a fish that was too heavy for the 120lb scales being used. This fish was claimed as a 'World record' at 130lb 10oz,[13] although the weighing process used is in doubt. In addition to being caught for sport, mahseer are also part of commercial fishing and ornamental or aquarium fish.

  1. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Tor". FishBase. April 2008 version.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Neolissochilus". FishBase. April 2008 version.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Naziritor". FishBase. April 2008 version.
  4. ^ Sen TK, Jayaram KC, 1982. The Mahseer Fish of India – a Review. Rec. Zoological Survey of India. Misc. Publ. Occasional Paper 39, 38p.
  5. ^ Menon AGK, 1992. Taxonomy of mahseer fishes of the genus Tor Gray with description of a new species from the Deccan. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 89 (2):210–228
  6. ^ Roberts TR (1999). "Fishes of the cyprinid genus Tor in the Nam Theun watershed, Mekong Basin of Laos, with description of a new species" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 47 (1): 225–236. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012.
  7. ^ Jha, B.R. & Rayamajhi, A. (2010). "Tor putitora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T166645A6254146. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166645A6254146.en.
  8. ^ Ogale, S.N. 2002 Mahseer breeding and conservation and possibilities of commercial culture. The Indian experience. In T. Petr and D.B. Swar (eds.) Cold Water Fisheries in the Trans-Himalayan Countries. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. 431.
  9. ^ Pinder, AC; Raghavan, R.; Britton, JR (2015). "The legendary hump-backed mahseer Tor sp. Of India's River Cauvery: An endemic fish swimming towards extinction?". Endangered Species Research. 28: 11–17. doi:10.3354/esr00673.
  10. ^ Mohindra, V.; Khare, Praveen; Lal, K. K.; Punia, P.; Singh, R. K.; Barman, A. S. & Lakra, W. S. (2007). "Molecular discrimination of five Mahseer species from Indian peninsula using RAPD analysis". Acta Zoologica Sinica. 53 (4): 725–732. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012.
  11. ^ The IUCN position statement on translocation of living organisms : Introductions, re-introductions and re-stocking. 1987.
  12. ^ Cordington, K. De. B. 1939. Notes on Indian Mahseer. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 46: 336–334
  13. ^ "130 lb World record mahseer shock". 9 April 2011.[failed verification]

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