New record of Puntius melanampyx (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) and Microphis cuncalus (Syngnathoformes: Syngnathidae) from Karnataka, India

2 Pages·1998·1.3 MB·

by  M Arunachalam

128 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 95 (1998)
cheek, and elongated last two anal fin rays
extending to base of caudal fin.
Colour: Silvery with a pinkish tinge; black
at scale margin. Fins reddish with light outer
rays.
The occurrence ofC. chagunio in this lotic
water extends its distributional range upto the
foothills ofKumaonHimalaya. In earlier studies,
the distribution ofthe species was recorded from
NW
Orissa, throughout Bengal, Bihar and
Fig. 1. Chagunius chagunio (Hamilton-Buchanan), Province to the Punjab (Day 1878-88),
male Brahmaputra and Ganga drainages along the
Length of head 5 cm, height of body 4.5 Himalayan foothills (Talwar and Jhingran,
cm in total length. Body elongate, its depth is 1991).
more than its head length. Mouth narrow and
subterminal, barbels 2 pairs, longer than orbit. Acknowledgements
Suborbital region, cheeks and anterior superior
am
margin of the orbit is covered with numerous I grateful to Dr. H.B.S. Raina, Director,
pores. Dorsal spine osseous, strong andrecurved, National Research Centre on Cold Water
its length is rather more than that of head, Fisheries, Bhimtal, Nainital dist. for providing
excluding the mouth. Dorsal fin commences necessary facilities and encouragement.
midway between the end of the snout and the
base of caudal fin. Scales small; lateral line September 1, 1997 K.D. JOSHI
complete; lateral line scales 46; 6 scale rows National Research Centre on Coldwater
between lateral line andpelvic fin; 15 rows before Fisheries,
the dorsal fin. The specimen is identified as male, Champawat dist.,
because ofthe pronounced tubercles on snout and Pithoragarh-262 523 (U.P.) India.
Refe ENCES
Day,F.(1878-88):TheFishesofIndia beinganaturalhistory Himalayas. Rec. Indian Mus. 39(4): 338-341.
ofthe fishesknown toinhabit the seas and freshwaters Menon, A.G.K. (1949): Fishes of Kumaon Himalayas,
ofIndia, BurmaandCeylon. Londonpp. 559. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 62 (3): 535-542.
Hamilton-Buchanan (1822): An Account of the fishes Pant, M.C. (1970): Fish faunaofKumaonhills,Rec. Zool.
found in theriverGangesanditsbranches. Edinburgh Surv. India. 64(1-4): 85-96.
&
and London pp. 295, 387. Talwar,P.K. A.G. Jhingran(1991): InlandFishes(Vol.
Hora, S.L. (1937): Noteson fishes in theIndian Museum I). Oxford& IBHPublishingCo. Pvt. Ltd.,New Delhi
XXXIII on a contribution of fish from Kumaon pp. 168.
NEW RECORD OF PUNTIUS MELANAMPYX(CYPRINIFORMES:
24.
CYPRINIDAE) AND MICROPHIS CUNCALUS (SYNGNATHOFORMES:
SYNGNATHIDAE) FROM KARNATAKA, INDIA
During a recent survey of fishes from the collected from a stream near Kadra (a tributary
Western Ghats region ofNorthern Karnataka, a of Kali river, near dam site) and six specimens
few specimens of Puntius melanampyx were of Microphis cuncalus were also collected
,
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 129
downstream from Aghanasini river. Literature Ghats ofKarnataka. In earlier studies the species
and reports on fishes of Karnataka (Day 1878- was recorded in estuaries of northern Calcutta
88, Talwar and Jhingran 1991, Jayaram in press) (Hamilton 1822), brackish water of Bombay
show that this species was not known from this (Klausewitz 1955), Dhaleswari river, northern
region. Munshigany, Bangladesh (Rahman 1976).
Puntius melanampyx
Geographical distribution in India
This species was collected in June 1996 This species inhabits rivers ascending
from a stream near Kadra dam site, a tributary far above the tidal influence, estuaries and
of the Kali river P. melanampyx was originally the low salinity habitats of West Bengal,
describedby Day (1865). It is a widely distributed Orissa, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil
species recorded from the Wynaad, Nilgiri and Nadu. Forthe first time, we recorded this species
Travancore ranges of hills, and streams and the from the stream habitats of Karnataka. Water
Cauvery river. Later, Hora and Law (1941) quality parameters, such as dissolved oxygen
reported it from Pampadampara and Silas (1951) (12 mg/1), alkalinity (30 mg/1), total hardness
recorded it in Vannamudi Bridge, Anamalai (26 mg/1), total dissolved solids (63.7 mg/1) and
m
Hills, Ponnai, Nelliamputhi Hills, Periyar conductivity (0.047 mhos) were recorded. The
drainage from Kerala. This species is being water quality parameters show that it is a purely
recorded for the first time from Uttar Karnataka freshwater (stream) habitat.
Western Ghats region. Description: D 43-44, Rings (15+17) +
Description: D ii 8, P 14, C 20, LL 19-20, (27-28), P 18-19, C 8-9. Head length 6.8 to 7.8
Pre.D.Sc 7. Head length 3.1 to 3.4 times in times in standard length. Body depth 3.4 to 4
standard length. Eye diameter 2.6 times in head times Headlength. Eyes ofmoderate size situated
length. Body depth 2.5 times in standard length. at mid-length of head. Colour Preserved
:
Colour. In live fish, light goldenbrownwiththree specimens dusky green dorsal side, ventral side
dark black vertical bands on the flank. After dull white and caudal fin dark brown.
preservation, dull brown, the vertical bands
ARUNACHALAM
faded. August 20, 1997 M.
JOHNSON
Microphis cuncalus J.A.
SORANAM
R.
This species was collected in June 1996 Sri Paramakalyani Centrefor
downstream of Aghanasini river near Kritikada Environmental Sciences
village. Its occurrence from this area extends the Manonmanium Sundaranar University,
distribution range of the species to the Western Alwarkurichi-627 412, Tamil Nadu, India.
Refer NCES
Day, F. (1865): Fishes ofMalabar: 210, pi. 16, fig 1. Rahman (1976): Bangladesh Journal ofZoology., 4 (2):
Day, F. (1878-88): TheFishesofIndia(4thed)Jagmander 45,47, Figs 1-3.
BookAgency,NewDelhi,pp. 778. (Reprint 1994). Silas, E.G. (1951): On a collection of fish from the
Hamilton, B. (1822): Fishes ofGanges 12: 362 Annamalai andNelliampathi hill ranges (Western
Hora, S.L. & N.C. Law (1941): Freshwater Fishes of Ghats) with notes on its zoogeographical
Travancore Rec. Ind. Mus. 43: 246. significances.J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 49(4): 673,
Jayaram, K.C. (in press): Manual for field identification 674.
ofcommonfreshwaterfishesofKarnataka. Madras: Talwar, P.K. & A.G. Jhingran (1991): Inland fishes of
87. IndiaandAdjacentCountries. Oxfordand IBLPub.
Klausewitz (1955): Senck. Biol., 36 (5/6): 315, Figs a,c. Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi pp. 1158.