Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 February 2021 | 13(2): 17651–17669
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6159.13.2.17651-17669
#6159 | Received 15 May 2020 | Final received
03 February 2021 | Finally accepted 07 February 2021
Ichthyofaunal diversity in the
upper-catchment of Kabini River in Wayanad part of
Western Ghats, India
Dencin Rons Thampy 1 , M.R. Sethu
2, M. Bibin Paul 3 & C.P. Shaji 4
1 River Research Centre, Karthika, Manalattil, Ollur Post, Thrissur, Kerala 680306, India.
2 Canopy Geospatial Solutions, Thalappillil, PKRA-19, Thekkumbhagam,
Ernakulam, Kerala 682301, India.
3 Conservation Biologist, Forests
and wildlife Department, Government of Kerala, Peechi
Wildlife Division, Peechi, Thrissur, Kerala 680653,
India.
4 Chakkalakkal house, Meladoor
P.O, Annamanada, Thrissur, Kerala 680741, India.
1dencinrons@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 sethumadhavn7@gmail.com, 3bibinpaul133@gmail.com,
4shajibarb@gmail.com
Editor: Rajeev Raghavan, Kerala
University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi, India. Date
of publication: 26 February 2021 (online & print)
Citation: Thampy, D.R., M.R. Sethu, M.B. Paul & C.P. Shaji
(2021). Ichthyofaunal
diversity in the upper-catchment of Kabini River in
Wayanad part of Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(2): 17651–17669. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6159.13.2.17651-17669
Copyright: © Thampy et al. 2021. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Self funded.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Authors
details: Dencin Rons Thampy,
works as a research associate at the River Research Centre, Thrissur focussing on the diversity, distribution, ecology and
evolution of freshwater fishes and has a keen interest on the ecology and
conservation of aquatic ecosystems. M.r Sethu, is the director of Canopy Geospatial
Solutions, Ernakulam. He is currently conducting his doctoral study in Kerala
University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and has a keen interest on
the distribution and diversity of marine and freshwater fishes of Kerala. M. Bibin Paul,
is employed as a conservation biologist at Peechi
Wildlife Division, Kerala State Forests and Wildlife Department. He works on
the diversity, distribution and ecology of freshwater fishes and bats. C.p Shaji, is a
former principal scientific officer at the Kerala State Biodiversity Board. He
is interested in the taxonomy, systematics and ecology of freshwater and
estuarine fishes.
Author
contributions: DRT, conceived
the idea; DRT, MBP and MRS conducted field surveys; DRT and CPS did taxonomic
studies; DRT developed the manuscript with the inputs from MBP and CPS; MRS
developed the maps for the study; CPS was in charge of overall direction and
planning.
Acknowledgements: The authors are indebted to Anvar Ali, Department of Fisheries Resource Management,
Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi and Rahul G. Kumar,
Peninsular and Marine Fish Genetics Research Centre, ICAR-National Bureau of
Fish Genetic Resources, Kochi for helping with the identification and taxonomy;
the late Latha Anantha,
Unnikrishnan Soolapani, Ravi S.P, Manju Vasudevan,
and Zabna A.B of River Research Centre, Thrissur, and
Suprabha Seshan and Purvi Jain of Gurukula Botanical
Sanctuary, Periya, Wayanad, for their collaborations
and support; P. Dhanesh Kumar IFS, DFO, Flying Squad, Calicut, Kerala State
Forests and Wildlife Department and George Chandy,
officer in charge, Centre for Wildlife Studies, KVASU, Pookode
for their support and encouragement; Agin George
Kurian, Arjun M.S. Ajisha Said, Maxwell Sandeep Aloshious, Azarudheen, Arun A.P., Ajeesh Chacko, Dericson Bino Mathew, Eldho Nirappath, and Jomin James for their assistance in the field and Rahul G.
Kumar, Arjun M.S., Abhijith T.V., Anandu
V., and Subin Yacob for
photographs; Suresh, Hareendran,
Appu, and Sanjay for helping with the collection of
fishes. Field work in various reserved
forests and protected areas of Wayanad were carried out with official permits
from the Kerala State Forest and Wildlife Department to Dencin
Rons Thampy and Bibin Paul M. We are
grateful to Rajeev Raghavan, subject editor and three anonymous reviewers for
critical commentary that helped substantially improve the final manuscript.
Abstract: We present here a detailed
account of the diversity, distribution, threats, and conservation of freshwater
fishes in the upper-catchment of the Kabini River in
the Wayanad part of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot. A total of 136 fish species belonging to 13
orders, 29 families, and 69 genera were recorded. Order Cypriniformes
dominated with five families, 36 genera, and 84 species, and Cyprinidae was the dominant family represented by 51
species within 21 genera. The true
diversity of ichthyofauna in this catchment, is still unclear and requires
further exploration and taxonomic studies.
At least 44 species recorded during the study are endemic to the Western
Ghats, of which 16 are endemic to the Cauvery River System and two species
endemic to the Kabini Catchment. A total of 20 non-native fish species were
recorded from the study area, of which six species were inter-basin (within
India) transplants and 14 species were exotic.
Among the native species with confirmed identity, four are Critically Endangered
(CR) and nine Endangered (EN) as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
As a part of the study, we also
extend the distribution ranges of Opsarius malabaricus, Laubuka
trevori, Opsarius
bendelisis, Puntius cauveriensis,
Oreichthys coorgensis,
Mesonoemacheilus pambarensis,
Hypselobarbus curmuca,
and Pseudosphromenus cupanus
to the Kabini Catchment. The presence of four species, which were
earlier considered to be endemic to the west flowing rivers of the Western
Ghats, viz, Laubuka fasciata,
Hypselobarbus kurali,
Sahyadria denisonii, and
Puntius mahecola, in an east flowing stream is
reported and discussed. Deforestation
and removal of riparian vegetation, pollution, stream channel modification,
sand mining, destructive fishing practices, dams and other impoundments,
monsoon fishing, and non-native species are the major threats to freshwater
fishes in the region. Strategies for the
conservation of aquatic ecosystems in the Kabini
Catchment are discussed.
Keywords: Biodiversity hotspot,
conservation, freshwater fish, species, taxonomy.
INTRODUCTION
The Western Ghats of India, a global biodiversity hotspot (together with
Sri Lanka) is also the principal watershed of peninsular India (Myers et al.
2000). Rivers and streams of the Western
Ghats are exceptionally biodiverse with high levels of endemism (Kottelat & Whitten 1996; Dahanukar
et al. 2011). Much of these critical
ecosystems, however, are threatened by a range of anthropogenic stressors (Dahanukar et al. 2011; Kumar et al. 2019). Around 340 species of freshwater fishes are
known from the Western Ghats till date, of which more than 60% are endemic (Dahanukar & Raghavan 2013).
Despite several studies on freshwater fish fauna of southern Western
Ghats, most upstream tributaries of major river systems continue to remain
underexplored. Kabini
is one of the major tributaries of the east flowing Cauvery River, originating
from the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats.
Studies on freshwater fishes of Wayanad date back to Jerdon
(1847, 1849) and Day (1867) who described several species from the region, but
the first comprehensive list of freshwater fishes of Wayanad was compiled only
in the 1990s (Shaji & Easa
1995). Three species, viz., Pethia pookodensis (Mercy & Jacob 2007), Pethia nigripinnis
(Knight, Rema Devi, Indra & Arunachalam 2012), and Dario neela (Britz et al. 2018),
were subsequently described from this region.
Most upstream tributaries of Kabini, however,
continue to be poorly studied and the diversity and distribution of fish
species in the river system has not been investigated in a comprehensive manner
over the past two decades. In this
paper, we provide an overview of the diversity and distribution of fishes in
the upper-catchment region of Kabini in Wayanad,
identify threats to the river and its fish species, and suggest conservation
plans.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
Kabini, also known as river Kapila is an important tributary of Cauvery which
waters almost the entire part of the Wayanad Plateau. Kabini is an east
flowing eighth order stream with a total basin area of 7,060.362km2 spread across the southern Indian states of
Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. A
major part of its catchment area is in Mysore and Chamarajnagar
districts of Karnataka. The river flows
for around 250km before joining the main Cauvery River at Thirumakudal
in Karnataka; however, in Kerala, Kabini is a seventh
order stream with a catchment area of only about 1,934.5km2.
For the present study, the total catchment area of Kabini
in Wayanad was further subdivided into six sub-catchments following Wakode et al. (2011).
Sub-catchments were selected based on the sixth order tributaries, and
the seventh order main stem of Kabini, viz., 1. Panamaram sub-catchment, 2. Mananthavady
sub-catchment, 3. Karapuzha sub-catchment, 4. Bavali sub-catchment, 5. Nugu
sub-catchment, and 6. Kabini sub-catchment.
Wayanad has a total forest cover area of 907km2, divided into
three major administrative divisions, viz., Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
(344.44km2), Wayanad North (214.94km2), and Wayanad South
forest divisions (347.66km2).
The forest patches in various sub-catchment regions of Kabini are represented by 118.9km2 in the Panamaram sub-catchment, 167.8km2 in the Mananthavady sub-catchment, 4.7km2 in the Karapuzha Sub-catchment, 123.2km2 in the Bavali sub-catchment, 147.1km2 in the Nugu sub-catchment, and 138.9km2 in the Kabini sub-catchment.
Nagarhole and Bandipur
tiger reserves of Karnataka, and Mudumalai Tiger
Reserve of Tamil Nadu are the other important protected areas in the Kabini Basin.
Mapping
The drainage basin of Kabini River was
digitized prior to the study. For the
delineation of catchments and sub-catchments ArcGIS pro software and Arc Hydro
tool was used. Cartosat
V3.0 data was used for the delineation of the drainage basin. Streams were delineated using Arc Spatial
analyst extension and hydrology tool.
Drainage channels were ordered according to Strahler’s (1957)
classification.
Sampling sites and methods
Fish sampling was carried out from March 2014 to March 2020. A total of 89 different stream stretches were
selected across various sub-catchments of the Kabini
(Image 1), with sampling done at every 500m point of the total stream length
(Image 2). GPS co-ordinates at each
sampling location was recorded using standard digital GPS reader (Garmin eTrex 30x).
Fish were collected using monofilament gillnets, cast nets and scoop
nets of varying mesh size, with the help of local fishers. Traditional fishing techniques like bund
making, bamboo cage traps and sieving by cloth were also used in suitable
areas. Only a minimum number of fish
were collected for identification and the rest were released back into the
stream, immediately after capture.
Samples were fixed in 5% formaldehyde after anaesthesia with clove oil
and later preserved in 70% ethanol.
Samples for molecular studies were directly fixed in 80–99 %
ethanol. Under the same sampling effort,
we categorize records of 10 or less than 10 individual specimens of a species
as ‘very rare’, 10–50 as ‘rare’, 50–100 as ‘moderate’, and more than 100 as
‘common’. This classification is not
based on any standard methodology or literature.
Species identification and morphometry:
Measurements were made with point to point using a digital-callipers to
the nearest 0.1mm. Fish were identified
by comparing the measurements and counts with the type/type series and/or as
mentioned in the original description.
Fish identification was confirmed using the relevant taxonomic
literature for each group. Collected
fish specimens are deposited in the museum collection of the Zoological Survey
of India Western Ghats Research Centre, Kozhikode (ZSI WGRC) and the Laboratory
of Systematics and Germplasm Conservation, Kerala University of Fisheries and
Ocean Studies, Kochi (KUFOS). A few
species could be identified only up to the generic level, as they showed
significant variations in morphology from the currently known species. Some species which closely resembled known
species whose specific status could not be confirmed due to a few marked
differences in morphology were labelled with cf. (confusion). Specimens which could not be identified up to
species level and some species with confusing identity have not been deposited
in the museum collection as further studies on them are in progress, while some
other species including most of the non-native species could not be preserved
due to different logistic reasons (e.g., large size). We follow Nelson et al. (2016); Tan &
Armbruster (2018) for family status while overall taxonomy and nomenclature
follows Fricke et al. (2020).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Diversity and distribution
A total of 136 fish species belonging to 13 orders, 29 families and 69
genera were recorded from the study area (Table 1). Cypriniformes was
the most dominant order with five families, 36 genera and 84 species, followed
by Siluriformes with seven families, 11 genera and 21
species. Cyprinidae
was the most dominant family represented by 51 species belonging to 21 genera,
followed by Danionidae (19 species within eight
genera) and Nemacheilidae (11 species within four
genera). Lack of detailed taxonomic and
systematic revisions have rendered the diversity of several groups of fishes in
the Western Ghats to be obscure. The
specific identity of 45 species collected during the present study could not be
confirmed. We refrain from citing some
recent publications in predatory journals following the journal policy (see
Raghavan et al. 2015). Among the 91
species with confirmed specific identity, 44 are endemic to the Western Ghats,
of which 16 are endemic to the Cauvery River System (Image 15a–d, Image
16e,g,i,k and Image 17a–h) and two species are currently known only from the Kabini Catchment (Image 15a, Image 17g). A total of 20 non-native fish species were
also recorded from the study area, of which six species were inter-basin
transplants within India, and 14 species were exotic to the country. Among the 74 native species with confirmed
specific identity, four are Critically Endangered (CR) (Image 15a–d), nine
Endangered (EN), three Vulnerable (VU), four Near Threatened (NT), 44 Least
Concern (LC), and one species Data Deficient (DD). The conservation status of a further eight
species have not yet been assessed.
Panamaram
sub-catchment had the highest species richness (n= 98), followed by Kabini (n= 97) and Mananthavady
(n= 90) sub-catchments. Number of
threatened species was highest in the Bavali
sub-catchment (n= 14), followed by Panamaram
sub-catchment (n=13) (Figure 1).
Seventeen species (Table 2) which were earlier reported from Kabini could not be collected during the present
study. Voucher specimens of these
species are not available and based on the latest taxonomic literature, many
are assumed to be misidentifications.
Kabini River Basin, identified as a freshwater Key Biodiversity Area (IUCN
2014) is among the regions of Western Ghats with the highest richness and
endemism of freshwater faunal groups (Molur et al.
2011). The present study revealed that
the river system is exceptionally rich in ichthyofaunal diversity. The total species richness of 136 is higher
than many of the studied rivers in Kerala including the Bharathapuzha
(117 species) (Bijukumar et al. 2013), and the Chalakkudy (98 species) (Raghavan et al. 2008). It is also important to note that the present
study only surveyed the upper-catchment region of Kabini
falling within the state boundary of Kerala and a detailed study in the lower
reaches of the river and the tributaries in Karnataka may lead to more species
being added into the list.
All six sub-catchment regions of Kabini
support good numbers of endemic and threatened fish species, and have equal
conservation value. Higher order streams
running through forests (Images 6, 7 and 8) supported the highest number of
species, while several endemic species like Neolissochilus
wynaadensis, Pterocryptis
wynaadensis, Dario neela,
loaches belonging to the family Nemacheilidae and
Balitoridae and a few catfishes of the family Sisoridae could be recorded only from the lower order hill
streams (Image 3,4 and 5) which are comparatively less disturbed.
Though we studied several streams in the region during the survey span
of six years, records of more species are expected and further taxonomic
studies are essential for calculating the true diversity of fishes in this
region. It was noted that the assemblage
and diversity of fishes are greatly dependent on the climatic conditions and
vary between seasons, with several species available only during the monsoon.
Range
extensions and first records
Our study revealed the presence of several species which were previously
not recorded from Wayanad, and from the east flowing river systems. Laubuka fasciata (Image 16j), Hypselobarbus
kurali (Image 16d), Sahyadria
denisonii (Image 16f), and Puntius mahecola (Image 16h) are species considered endemic to
the west flowing streams of Western Ghats (Abraham 2011a,b; Raghavan & Ali
2011; Ali et al. 2015). All four species
mentioned above were recorded from various locations (Table 3) within the
Banasura Sagar Reservoir and could not be collected
from any other part of the Kabini catchment. This suggests that the four species could
have either been introduced to the reservoir, or might be inter-basin migrants
between Kuttiyadi and Kabini
rivers, facilitated by a feeder canal which connects the Banasura Sagar Reservoir with the Kakkayam
Reservoir built across the west flowing Kuttiyadi
River (Image 2). It is currently not
understood what the nature and population status of these species inside the
reservoir are, as their presence is known only from a few specimens. Juvenile specimens of H. kurali and S. denisonii, however,
were collected during the present study, which confirms that both species are
breeding within the reservoir limits. Sahyadria denisonii is
also one of the most traded ornamental fishes (Raghavan et al. 2018) and
therefore the possibilities of introduction of this species into the Kabini Basin by aquarist and breeders needs to be
considered. Laubuka
fasciata, H. kurali,
and P. mahecola are, however, rare
native species which are not commonly found in the ornamental fish trade in
Kerala, and there are less likely chances of the introduction of these species
into the reservoir, further supporting the idea of inter-basin migration. A feeder canal is also suspected to
facilitate the movement of fish species endemic to Cauvery River System into
the Kuttiyadi Basin (Gopi 2006). There is, however, no conclusive evidence to
prove these speculations, and until any further information becomes available,
all four species are considered native to the study region.
Opsarius malabaricus (Image 16a), described from northern Malabar was considered as a synonym
of Opsarius bakeri
until Knight et al. (2015), cleared the identity of the two species, based on
collections from west flowing Payaswini and Valapattanam rivers of Kasargod
and Kannur districts. Ten specimens of
this species were collected from two locations (Table 3), within the catchment
area of Banasura Sagar Reservoir, where they are
rarely seen.
Laubuka trevori (Image 16e), is a recently described species from the Cauvery Catchment
in Coorg District of Karnataka. This
species was recorded from four different locations (Table 3) within the Kabini Catchment, extending the range of this species to
the Kerala part of the Western Ghats.
In Kerala, Opsarius bendelisis (Image 16c) is known only from Chinnar and Pambar rivers of
Amaravati Catchment in Idukki District (Easa & Shaji 1996). Our
study confirms the range extension of this species to northern Kerala and for
the first time from the Kabini Catchment.
Puntius cauveriensis (Hora, 1937) (Image 16i) is an endangered barb, endemic to the Cauvery
River System in Karnataka, with records from Ithipuzha
and Malampuzha in west flowing Bharathapuzha
requiring confirmation (Shaji 2011). In our study, we recorded P. cauveriensis from seven different locations (Table 3)
within the Kabini Catchment extending the range of
this species to the Kerala part of Western Ghats.
Oreichthys coorgensis (Image 16g) is a poorly known species of small barb known only from the
upper reaches of the Cauvery River in Coorg District of Karnataka (Knight &
Kumar 2015). We report the range
extension of this species to the Kerala part of Western Ghats with
specimens collected from a single location (Table 3) within Kabini
Catchment.
Pethia pookodensis (Image 15a) is a Critically Endangered small-sized barb endemic to
Wayanad, with confirmed records only from the Pookode
Lake in Wayanad, the type locality (Ali & Raghavan 2015). During our study, the species was recorded
from all the sub-catchments of Kabini, confirming
their occurrence outside the type locality, and its wide distribution
range. A reappraisal of the conservation
status of the species is hence required.
Mesonoemacheilus pambarensis (Image 16k), currently known only from Chinnar
and Pambar rivers of Amaravati Catchment in Kerala,
and from the Bhavani River in Tamil Nadu (Anoop et al. 2018) was collected from
four different locations (Table 3) in Wayanad, extending the range of this
species to northern Kerala.
Hypselobarbus curmuca (Image 16b) and Pseudosphromenus cupanus (Image 16l), which were not recorded from
Wayanad in previous ichthyofaunal studies were recorded in our study. Hypselobarbus
curmuca was found be to be very rare in Kabini with records only from two locations (Table 3),
while Pseudosphromenus cupanus
is widely distributed in the basin with records from all the major
tributaries of Kabini.
Major threats
Deforestation and removal of riparian vegetation (Image 9), pollution
(Image 13), stream channel modification, sand mining, destructive fishing
practices, dams & other impoundments, monsoon fishing, and non-native
species are the major threats to freshwater fishes in the region. Riparian vegetation along Kabini
and its major tributaries are severely disturbed, and in many cases totally
destroyed. Over the past few decades,
the natural vegetation across many of the streams has been cleared for
agricultural plantations and construction.
The Kuruva-Vettathur River Islands (Images 1,7
and 8) is the only region in the Kabini main stem
where the riparian vegetation is currently intact. Similarly, the stream stretches running
through reserved forests and protected area network are the only reaches with
intact or less disturbed riparian buffer.
Most of the stream stretches outside forests are severely disturbed,
with riparian vegetation completely removed, particularly evident in Panamaram, Karapuzha, and Mananthavady sub-catchments. Loss of forest cover negatively impacts
freshwater fish and several other faunal groups, since the nutrient cycle in
stream ecosystems are regulated by a healthy riparian buffer (Vannote et al. 1980; Junk et al. 1989; Pusey & Arthington 2003). In
addition, several freshwater fish species in the Western Ghats exploit
allochthonous food resources and use the flooded riparian forests as spawning
grounds (Arunachalam 2000). Canopy cover
is also important in regulating stream water temperature which in turn plays an
important role in the distribution of fish communities (Marsh-Matthews &
Matthews 2000).
Indiscriminate sand and gravel mining poses irreparable damage to
habitats in the Kabini. Even the smallest stream stretches in the
region are exploited for sand. Large
scale destruction of river beds due to sand mining for commercial purposes are
evident in Panamaram River, Mananthavady
River, and Kabini main stem (Image 12). Sand mining-related stream bank modifications
resulted in mass failure of stream banks in several locations during the floods
of 2018 and 2019.
Heavy siltation of streams due to deforestation and sand mining which
modify the stream beds directly affects several endemic species as it degrades
their breeding substrates (Dahanukar et al.
2011). Hill stream loaches of the
families Balitoridae, Cobitidae,
and Nemacheilidae, and several species of cyprinids
including the Critically Endangered Neolissochilus
wynaadensis and Tor remadevii
are particularly vulnerable to siltation.
Indiscriminate fishing, often using destructive practices such as
dynamiting and poison fishing is observed in almost all the major
sub-catchments of Kabini. Monsoon triggers the local
migration of several fish species from large rivers into smaller streams,
flooded marsh lands (Image 10), paddy fields and riparian forests, which serves
as their spawning grounds. This mass
movement of fishes is locally called ‘ootha or ootha keattam” (Shaji & Laladhas 2013). Many of the migratory routes, mostly at the
mouths of smaller seasonal streams are blocked and large numbers of spawning
individuals are caught. Fishing during ootha, though banned by the Government of Kerala, is seldom
enforced, and is one of the major factors resulting in the decline and
extirpation of several fish species.
Exotic fish species pose serious threats to the fish fauna of Kabini, especially to those having low population sizes and
narrow distribution. Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon
idella, Clarias
gariepinus, Pterygoplichthys
sp., Oreochromis mossambicus, O.
niloticus, Poecilia
reticulata, and Xiphophorus helleri are invasive species as per the IUCN Global
Invasive Species Database (2020). Oreochromis
niloticus, Clarias
gariepinus, Poecilia
reticulata, and Cyprinus carpio are now well established, and widely distributed
in the Kabini Basin.
Occurrence of the bichir (Polypterus
sp.) (Image 18) in the Kabini River system
is known only from the collection of seven individuals during the 2018
monsoon. Similarly, species such as Osphronemus goramy,
Trichopodus trichopterus,
Pterygoplichthys sp., and Xiphophorus helleri
were also collected only during the post flood period of 2018 and could be
attributed to their escape from private aquaculture facilities during the
flood. Flood-associated inundation of
fish farms and other aquaculture facilities is identified as one of the major
factors facilitating the introduction of several exotic species into rivers and
other open water sources (Casimiro et al. 2018; Bijukumar et al. 2019).
Climate change is also accelerating the decline of fish diversity in the
Kabini catchment.
Kabini experienced severe shortage of water
during the summers of 2017, 2018, and 2019 (Image 11), and also experienced
massive floods during the monsoons of 2018 and 2019 (Image 14). Extreme climatic events increase the
susceptibility of freshwater fishes to infections and disease outbreaks (Lopez
et al. 2010), which was evident during the summer and post flood months of 2018
and 2019, when bacterial disease outbreaks resulted in widespread mortality of
fishes at several locations in the Kabini catchment.
Conservation measures
Streams and rivers across the Kabini Catchment
are severely threatened by a range of anthropogenic activities, leading to the fragmentation of
available habitats. For the effective
conservation of aquatic species in the river basin, a landscape-scale conservation
strategy should be implemented, such that the complexity and diversity of the
watershed is maintained. Longitudinal
and lateral drainage network connections including lower order streams,
head-water tributaries, upper-slope areas, wetlands and flood plains in the
region should be maintained to provide un-obstructed corridors, to satisfy the
life history requirements of several endemic species. River protection should be taken as a
priority issue by the District Environmental Impact Assessment Authority
(DEIAA) before giving clearances for activities such as mining, waste disposal
plants and construction. To stop further ecological degradation of the river,
we recommend that clearance should not be given to any large-scale
constructional activities along the stream stretches, which includes dams,
buildings and roads.
Structural diversity and species integrity of plant communities in
wetland and riparian zones within the catchment should be conserved and the
continuity of riparian forests can be maintained via restoration of degraded
landscapes. Eco-restoration of the river
can be initiated by the local self-governments by collaborating with
non-governmental organizations, educational institutes and other public bodies
like the Vana Samrakshana Samithi of the state forest and wildlife department.
It is also important to maintain the physical integrity of the
ecosystems which include stream banks, shorelines and substrates. Regular monitoring of river sand extraction,
recording the severity of extraction and periodic environmental auditing could
prevent further degradation of river beds.
Immediate actions are to be taken by the government to stop illegal sand
mining in the region. Large scale
conversion of floodplains and marshes for construction and unsustainable
farming practices should be prohibited by strict implementation of the
available laws. Actions should also be
taken to stop the disposal of sewage water and domestic wastes into the river
system.
Destructive fishing practices and indiscriminate harvest of fishes in Kabini, especially during the breeding seasons should be
completely prohibited. The official ban
on dynamiting and poisoning should be reinforced by the concerned
authorities. Seasonal streams and
marshes adjacent to the main river channels should be protected to secure the
migratory corridors and spawning grounds of several native species.
Immediate actions are also to be taken to control the populations of
exotic and invasive species in the river system and the introduction of new
non-native species should be prevented.
Farming and cultivation of non-native species in the regions adjacent to
river channels should not be promoted, and parties associated with such
activities have to be made aware of the issue.
Designation of river reaches in reserved forest areas as fish
sanctuaries or river sanctuaries with elevated protection level will also help
in conserving the habitat and the species.
Kuruva-Vettathur River Island region (image 1)
in the Kabini main stem is a potential site which can
be declared a riverine sanctuary.
Conservation and management of aquatic environments in the Kabini Basin require research involving inter-disciplinary
approaches aimed at understanding the various aspects of landscape evolution,
biodiversity and socio-economic vulnerability.
Awareness campaigns involving researchers, students, farmers, fishing
communities and other stakeholders can be arranged at local levels to create a
network of people who can be employed for long-term monitoring and restoration
of ecosystems.
Table 1. Details of fish species collected from the
Upper Catchment region of Kabini River in Wayanad
District from March 2014 to March 2020.
Order/Family/Species |
aRed List Status |
Native/ Introduced |
Presence in Kabini
River System |
bEndemism |
Distribution |
Voucher code |
Cypriniformes: Danionidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opsarius gatensis (Valenciennes, 1844) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3009 |
Opsarius malabaricus Jerdon, 1849 |
NA |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG |
C1 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3010 |
Opsarius bendelisis (Hamilton, 1807) |
LC |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C5,C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2003 |
Salmostoma acinaces (Valenciennes, 1844) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI |
C1,C2,C3,C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2004 |
Salmostoma boopis (Day, 1874) |
LC |
Native |
Moderate |
WG |
C1,C2,C3,C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3011 |
Salmostoma balookee (Sykes, 1839) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI |
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3012 |
Amblypharyngodon cf. mola (Hamilton,
1822) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2,C3,C4, C5,C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2005 |
Amblypharyngodon melettinus (Valenciennes, 1844) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
PI, SL |
C1,C2 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3013 |
Laubuka trevori Knight, 2015 |
NA |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C1, C2 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2006 |
Laubuka cf. laubuca (Hamilton,
1822) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2007 |
Laubuka fasciata (Silas, 1958) |
VU |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-KL |
C1 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3015 |
Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2008 |
Devario cf. malabaricus (Jerdon, 1849) |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1, C2 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2009 |
Devario sp. 1 *** |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C4 |
|
Devario neilgherriensis (Day, 1867) |
EN |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C5 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3016 |
Devario sp.2*** |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
|
Esomus cf. thermoicos (Valenciennes,
1842) |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2012 |
Rasbora dandia (Valenciennes, 1844) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI, SL |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3017 |
Rasbora neilgherriensis
(Day, 1867) (Thampy
et al. 2020) |
NA |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER.3140 |
Cyprinidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tor khudree (Sykes, 1839)* |
- |
Transplanted |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C4, C6 |
|
Tor remadevii Kurup & Radhakrishnan, 2011* |
CR |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C4, C5, C6 |
|
Neolissochilus wynaadensis (Day, 1873) |
CR |
Native |
Rare |
WG- CY |
C1, C2, C3, C4 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3018 |
Neolissochilus sp. *** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Systomus sarana (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
PI |
C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3019 |
Barbodes carnaticus (Jerdon,
1849) |
LC |
Native |
Moderate |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3020 |
Hypselobarbus dubius (Day, 1867) |
EN |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C4, C5,C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3021 |
Hypselobarbus micropogon (Valenciennes, 1842) |
EN |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C1, C2, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3022 |
Hypselobarbus kurali Menon & Rema Devi, 1995 |
LC |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG |
C1 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3023 |
Hypselobarbus curmuca (Hamilton, 1807) |
EN |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG |
C4, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2015 |
Hypselobarbus sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Dawkinsia rubrotincta (Jerdon,
1849) |
NA |
Native |
Rare |
WG-CY |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2016 |
Dawkinsia filamentosa (Valenciennes, 1844) |
LC |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1,C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3024 |
Sahyadria denisonii (Day, 1865) |
EN |
Possibly transplanted |
Very Rare |
WG |
C1 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3025 |
Puntius cf. chola (Hamilton,
1822) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3026 |
Puntius cf. sophore
(Hamilton, 1822) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2017 |
Puntius cauveriensis (Hora, 1937) |
EN |
Native |
Rare |
WG-CY |
C2, C4, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2018 |
Puntius dorsalis (Jerdon, 1849)* |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Puntius cf. parrah Day,
1865 |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2019 |
Puntius mahecola (Valenciennes, 1844) |
DD |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-KL |
C1 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3027 |
Puntius vittatus Day, 1865 |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C4, C6 |
ZSI-WGRC: 3028 |
Puntius cf. bimaculatus (Bleeker,
1863) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2020 |
Puntius cf. melanostigma
(Day, 1878)*** |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C6 |
|
Puntius sp. 1*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C5 |
|
Waikhomia cf. sahyadriensis
(Silas, 1953)*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C2 |
|
Oreichthys coorgensis (Jayaram, 1982) *** |
NA |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C6 |
|
Haludaria fasciata (Jerdon,
1849) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3029 |
Pethia pookodensis (Mercy & Jacob, 2007) |
CR |
Native |
Rare |
WG-KB |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2024 |
Pethia sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Pethia punctata (Day, 1865) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C1 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3030 |
Pethia conchonius (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3031 |
Pethia nigripinnis (Knight, Rema Devi, Indra &
Arunachalam, 2012) |
NA |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1, C2, C4 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3032 |
Pethia cf. sharmai (Menon
& Rema Devi, 1993)*** |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Osteochilichthys nashii (Day, 1869) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C1, C2, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3033 |
Kantaka brevidorsalis (Day, 1873) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG-CY |
C5 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3034 |
Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822)* |
- |
Transplanted |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C6 |
|
Gymnostomus ariza (Hamilton, 1807) |
NA |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3035 |
Bangana cf. dero (Hamilton, 1822) |
- |
Unknown |
Common |
|
C1, C2, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2027 |
Labeo kontius (Jerdon,
1849) |
LC |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3036 |
Labeo cf. potail (Sykes,
1839)*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C5 |
|
Labeo cf. nigrescens Day,
1870*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C5, C6 |
|
Labeo calbasu (Hamilton, 1822)* |
- |
Transplanted |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Labeo cf. boga (Hamilton,
1822) |
- |
Unknown |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2028 |
Labeo cf. porcellus (Heckel, 1844) |
- |
Unknown |
Rare |
|
C2, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2029 |
Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822)* |
- |
Transplanted |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C5, C6 |
|
Labeo catla (Hamilton, 1822)* |
- |
Transplanted |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C5 C6 |
|
Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758* |
- |
Exotic |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
|
Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes, 1844)* |
- |
Exotic |
Rare |
|
C3, C6 |
|
Garra stenorhynchus (Jerdon,
1849) |
LC |
Native |
Moderate |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2030 |
Garra cf. mullya (Sykes,
1839) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3037 |
Garra mcclellandi (Jerdon,
1849)* |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG-CY |
C1, C2, C4, C6 |
|
Balitoridae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balitora mysorensis Hora, 1941*** |
VU |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG |
C1, C2, C4 |
|
Bhavania australis (Jerdon,
1849) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1, C2, C4, C5 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3038 |
Nemacheilidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paracanthocobitis cf. mooreh (Sykes,
1839) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2031 |
Schistura cf. denisoni (Day,
1867) |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2032 |
Schistura cf. nilgiriensis (Menon,
1987) |
- |
Native |
Moderate |
|
C1, C2 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2033 |
Schistura semiarmata (Day, 1867) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2034 |
Schistura sp. 1*** |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2 |
|
Schistura sp. 2*** |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C2, C4 |
|
Schistura striata (Day, 1867) |
EN |
Native |
Moderate |
WG-CY |
C1, C2, C4, C5 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2037 |
Mesonoemacheilus pambarensis (Rema Devi & Indra, 1994) |
VU |
Native |
Rare |
WG-CY |
C1, C4 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2038 |
Mesonoemacheilus guentheri (Day, 1867) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2039 |
Mesonoemacheilus sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C5, C1 |
|
Nemacheilus monilis Hora, 1921 |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C1, C2, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2041 |
Cobitidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lepidocephalichthys thermalis (Valenciennes, 1846) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI, SL |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3038 |
Siluriformes: Bagridae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mystus seengtee (Sykes, 1839) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3040 |
Mystus malabaricus (Jerdon,
1849) |
NT |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C2, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2042 |
Mystus montanus (Jerdon,
1849) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2043 |
Mystus cf. armatus (Day,
1865)*** |
LC |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C5 |
|
Mystus cf. vittatus
(Bloch, 1794) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C5 C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3041 |
Mystus cf. bleekeri (Day,
1877)*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1 |
|
Hemibagrus punctatus (Jerdon, 1849) |
CR |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG-CY |
C1,C2, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3042 |
Batasio sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C2 |
|
Siluridae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pterocryptis wynaadensis (Day, 1873) |
EN |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C1,C2, C4 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3043 |
Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794) |
NT |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3044 |
Ompok malabaricus (Valenciennes, 1840) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2045 |
Wallago attu (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)* |
NT |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1, C5, C6 |
|
Sisoridae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glyptothorax cf. annandalei
Hora, 1923 |
- |
Native |
Moderate |
|
C1,C2, C4, C5 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3045 |
Glyptothorax madraspatanus
(Day, 1873)*** |
EN |
Native |
Very Rare |
WG |
C4, C5, C6 |
|
Glyptothorax sp. 1*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1, C2, C4 |
|
Glyptothorax sp. 2*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C2, C4 |
|
Clariidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)* |
- |
Exotic |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
|
Clarias cf. dussumieri
Valenciennes, 1840 |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1, C5 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2048 |
Heteropneustidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794) |
LC |
Native |
Moderate |
|
C1,C2, C3, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3046 |
Pangasiidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pangasius sp.* |
- |
Exotic |
Rare |
|
C1, C6 |
|
Loricariidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pterygoplichthys sp.* |
- |
Exotic |
Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheilidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aplocheilus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1846) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3047 |
Aplocheilus sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C4, C6 |
|
Poecilidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859* |
- |
Exotic |
Common |
|
C1, C2, C3, C6 |
|
Xiphophorus maculatus (Günther, 1866)* |
- |
Exotic |
Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Xiphophorus helleri Heckel, 1848* |
- |
Exotic |
Rare |
|
C1 |
|
Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepède,
1800) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3048 |
Ovalentaria (incertae sedis) : Ambassidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Parambassis thomassi (Day, 1870) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C1,C2, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3049 |
Parambassis cf. ranga
(Hamilton, 1822) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3050 |
Parambassis sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Chanda nama Hamilton, 1822 |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3051 |
Cichliformes: Cichlidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852)* |
- |
Exotic |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C5, C6 |
|
Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)* |
- |
Exotic |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
|
Pseudetroplus maculatus (Bloch, 1795) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
PI,SL |
C1,C2, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3058 |
Anabantiformes: Anabantidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anabas cobojius (Hamilton, 1822)* |
- |
Transplanted |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Pristolepididae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pristolepis marginata Jerdon, 1849 |
- |
Native |
Rare |
WG |
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3052 |
Pristolepis sp.*** |
- |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C6 |
|
Channidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Channa gachua (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2052 |
Channa marulius (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2053 |
Channa striata (Bloch, 1793) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1,C2, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2054 |
Channa punctata (Bloch, 1793) |
LC |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C1,C2 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2055 |
Badidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dario neela Britz, Anoop
& Dahanukar, 2018 |
NA |
Native |
Rare |
WG- KB |
C1, C2 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER : 2696 |
Osphronemidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pseudosphromenus cupanus (Cuvier, 1831) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3054 |
Osphronemus goramy Lacepède, 1801* |
- |
Exotic |
Very Rare |
|
C3 |
|
Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas, 1770) |
- |
Exotic |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3055 |
Gobiiformes: Gobiidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3053 |
Osteoglossiformes: Notopteridae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769) |
LC |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3056 |
Anguilliformes: Anguillidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anguilla bengalensis (Gray, 1831)* |
NT |
Native |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
|
Beloniformes: Hemiramphidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hyporhamphus cf. limbatus
(Valenciennes, 1847) |
- |
Native |
Common |
|
C1,C2, C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2057 |
Belonidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Xenentodon cancila (Hamilton, 1822) |
LC |
Native |
Rare |
|
C1, C6 |
ZSI/WGRC/IR/VER: 3057 |
Characiformes: Serrasalmidae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier, 1818)* |
- |
Exotic |
Rare |
|
C1, C2, C6 |
|
Polypteriformes: Polypteridae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Polypterus sp. |
- |
Exotic |
Very Rare |
|
C6 |
KUFOS.F.2019.2058 |
a Endemism: WG—Western Ghats | PI—Peninsular India |
SL—Sri Lanka | KL—Kerala | CY—Cauvery River System | KB—Kabini
Catchment.
b IUCN
Red list Categories: CR—Critically Endangered | EN—Endangered | VU—Vulnerable |
NT—Near Threatened | DD—Data Deficient | NA—Not Assessed
c—Catchments: C1—Panamaram
Sub-catchment | C2—Mananthavady Sub-catchment | C3—Karapuzha Sub-catchment | C4—Bavali
Sub-catchment | C5—Nugu Sub-catchment | C6—Kabini Sub-catchment.
*—specimens not preserved | ***—specimens not
submitted as further studies are in progress.
Table 2. Details of fish species reported from Kabini Catchment in the literature, which were not recorded
during the present study.
|
Species name |
Author |
Remarks |
1 |
Sperata aor (Hamilton, 1822) |
Arunachalam
et al. 2000a, 2000b |
Not
recorded during the present study |
2 |
Puntius amphibius (Valenciennes, 1842) |
Easa & Basha 1995; Shaji & Easa 1995; Easa & Shaji 1997; Shaji & Easa 1998, Arunachalam
et al. 2000b & Kurup et al. 2004 |
Possible
misidentification with Puntius mahecola or
another Puntius sp., the specific identity of which could not be
confirmed |
3 |
Parambassis baculis (Hamilton, 1822) |
Arunachalam
et al. 2000a |
Not
recorded during the present study |
4 |
Opsarius bakeri (Day, 1865) |
Kurup et al. 2004 |
Likely
to be Opsarius malabaricus |
5 |
Opsarius canarensis (Jerdon, 1849) |
Arunachalam
& Manimekalan 2000b |
Likely
to be Opsarius malabaricus |
6 |
Tariqilabeo latius (Hamilton, 1822). |
Kurup et al. 2004 |
Not
recorded during the present study |
7 |
Glyptothorax lonah (Sykes, 1839) |
Kurup et al. 2004 |
Possible
miss misidentification with Glyptothorax
sp. 2, the specific identity of which could not be confirmed |
8 |
Mystus oculatus (Valenciennes, 1840) |
Kurup et al. 2004 |
Not
recorded during the present study |
9 |
Indoreonectes evezardi (Day, 1872) |
Kurup et al. 2004 |
Not
recorded during the present study |
10 |
Mesonoemacheilus petrubanarescui (Menon, 1984) |
Easa & Basha 1995; Shaji & Easa 1995; Kurup et al. 2004 |
Possible
misidentification with another similar looking species of Mesonoemacheilus,
the specific identity of which could not be confirmed |
11 |
Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) |
Kurup et al. 2004 |
Likely
to be Tor remadeviae |
12 |
Dawkinsia arulius (Jerdon, 1849) |
Easa & Basha 1995; Shaji & Easa 1995;
Arunachalam & Manimekalan 2000a |
Likely
to be Dawkinsia rubrotincta |
13 |
Esomus danrica (Hamilton, 1822) |
Easa & Basha 1995; Shaji & Easa 1995b |
Likely
to be Esomus cf. thermoicos |
14 |
Pethia ticto (Hamilton, 1822) |
Easa & Basha 1995; Shaji & Easa 1995;
Arunachalam & Manimekalan 2000b |
Possible
misidentification with Pethia nigripinnis or another Pethia
sp., the specific identity of which could not be confirmed |
15 |
Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day, 1874) |
Easa & Shaji 2003 |
Not
recorded during the present study |
16 |
Hypselobarbus periyarensis (Raj, 1941) |
Arunachalam
et al. 2000b |
Possible
misidentification, as the species is currently considered endemic to the Periyar River Basin (Ali & Raghavan, 2011) |
17 |
Batasio travancoria Hora & Law, 1941 |
Arunachalam
& Manimekalan 2000b |
Mentioned
as Batasio sp. in the present study |
Table 3. Details of sampling locations of the species
recorded for the first time in Kabini Basin.
|
Species |
Details/ GPS co-ordinates of locations |
1 |
Laubuka fasciata |
11.597°N,
75.926°E to 11.670°N, 75.958°E |
2 |
Hypselobarbus kurali |
11.597°N,
75.926°E to 11.670°N, 75.958°E |
3 |
Sahyadria denisonii |
11.597°N,
75.926°E to 11.670°N, 75.958°E |
4 |
Puntius mahecola |
11.597°N,
75.926°E to 11.670°N, 75.958°E |
5 |
Opsarius malabaricus |
11.636°N,
75.926°E & 11.616°N, 75.929°E |
6 |
Laubuka trevori |
11.910°N,
75.984°E;11.845°N, 75.939°E; 11.827°N, 75.840°E &11.532°N, 76.025°E |
7 |
Opsarius bendelisis |
11.808°N,
76.095°E; 11.846°N, 76.120°E & 11.706°N, 76.396°E |
8 |
Puntius cauveriensis |
11.747°N,
76.128°E; 11.777°N, 75.925°E; 11.831°N, 76.093°E; 11.852°N, 76.128° E;
11.862°N, 76.098°E; 11.862°N,
76.204°E & 11.827°N, 76.209°E |
9 |
Oreichthys coorgensis |
11.829°N,
75.094°E |
10 |
Mesonoemacheilus pambarensis |
11.909°N,
75.985°E; 11.843°N, 76.113°E; 11.837°N, 75.817°E & 11.352°N, 76.025°E |
11 |
Hypselobarbus curmuca |
11.833°N,
76.095°E & 11.859°N, 76.101°E |
12 |
Pseudosphromenus cupanus |
Widely
distributed: All the major tributaries and the main stem of Kabini in Wayanad. |
For
figures & images - - click here
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