Record of the Barb Barbodus Carnaticus (Cyprinidae: Cypriniformes) from the Streams of Eastern Ghats, of Tamil Nadu

2 Pages·1999·1.1 MB·

by  M Arunachalam

,
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
References
Easa,P.S. &S.C. Basha(1995):Asurveyonthehabitat Talwar, P.K. & A.G. Jhingran (1991): Inland fishesof
anddistributionofstreamfishesintheKeralapart India and adjacent countries. Oxford & IBH
ofNilgiriBiosphereReserve.KFRIResearchreport PublishingCo.,NewDelhi.
No. 104,Peechi,Thrissur. Tjlak,R.(1973):Astudyofthefreshwaterandestuarine
RemaDevi,K.,K.G.Emiliyamma&R.S.Lalmohan(1996): fishes ofGoa. 1. Acanthophthalmusgociensis A
Extension of range of Pangio gociensis new Cobitid from Goa, with notes on
(Cypriniformes:Cobitidae)totheChaliyardrainage Zenarchopterusstriga(Blyth).J. InlandFish.Soc
ofKerala.J. SouthAsiannat. Hist. 3(1): 19-22. India4: 61-68.
RECORD OF THE BARB BARBODUS CARNATICUS
20.
(CYPRINIDAE CYPRINIFORMES) FROM THE STREAMS
:
OF EASTERN GHATS, OF TAMIL NADU.
The large barb Barbodus carnaticus is convex than ventral; its depth 2.8 to 3.2 times
endemic to Western Ghats, being known only instandardlength. Headlength4.0to4.25 times
from the Cauvery drainages at the base ofthe in head. Mouth subterminal; lips moderately
Nilgiris, Wynaad and also from Karnataka fleshy. Barbels two pairs, maxillary pair longer
(Talwar and Jhingran, 1991; Menon, 1992; than rostral pair. Dorsal fin inserted midway
Arunachalam et al., 1998). It grows to a between tip of snout and caudal base. Last
maximum size of about 60 cm in length and undivideddorsalrayosseous, strong. Lateral line
12 kg in weight (Menon, 1992); in our ongoing complete with 30-32 scales. Colour in live
Western Ghats biodiversity programme we specimens dark olivaceous green on back, fad-
recorded specimens from 25 cm to 40 cm in ing to dull white with gold on flanks and
length (0.5-3 kg in weight). During a recent abdomen. Afterpreservation in formaline, light
survey, we collected a fair number of speci- brown on dorsal side and flanks, abdomen pale
mens ofB. carnaticus from anunnamed stream yellow.
near Arapaleeswar temple, and also some
unnamedstreamsinKollihillsofEasternGhats, Habitat and Ecology
Tamil Nadu. The literature on Eastern Ghats B. carnaticusprefers largepoolsandriffle
(Talwar and Jhingran, 1991; Misra, 1938; habitatsofrapidriversandstreams.Adultsprefer
Lazarus et al., 1988; Rema Devi, 1992) shows pools, hiding in undercutting of bedrock and
that this species was not reported from this boulders, whilejuvenilespreferrifflehabitats. It
region by earlier workers. Till now, the feeds mostly on benthic substrates. It has been
distributionofthespecieswasCauverydrainage introducedintoreservoirsofPeriyarandCauvery
systems ofWestern Ghats (Molur and Walker, drainage systems.
1998). The present record shows its extension
to Eastern Ghats, indicating affinities between Distribution
Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats of Tamil Found inCauvery, Bhavani, Moyarrivers
Nadu. in Tamil Nadu; Periyar reservoir (introduced)
in Kerala (Menon, 1992) and Hemavathi river
We
Description of Karnataka (Arunachalam et al., 1998).
collected this species for the first time from an
D IV/8;P 15;V9;A II/5; C 19;Ltr. Scales unnamed stream near Arapaleeswar temple in
5, 3 '/L Body elongate, dorsal profile more Kolli hills ofEastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu.
480 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 96(3) DEC. 1999
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Acknowledgements December26, 1998 M. ARUNACHALAM
JOHNSON
J.A.
The second author (JAJ) is grateful to the Sri Paramakalyani Centrefor
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Environmental Sciences, Manonmanium
(CSIR), New Delhi, for financial support. Sundaranar Univ., Alwarkurichi 627412, 77V.
Refer NCES
Arunachalam,M.,J.A.Johnson,S.N.Sathyanarayanappa. Misra, K.S. (1938): On a collection of fish from the
A. Sankaranarayanan & R. Soranam (1998): EasternGhats. Rec. Indian Mus. XL(3): 255-264.
Economically important cultivable/omamental fishes Molur, Sanjay& SallyWalker(1998): Reportofthe
fromHemavathiandEkachiriversinSouthKarnataka. Workshop on ‘Conservation assessment and
WorkshopreportonGermplasminventorisationandgene managementplanforfreshwaterfishesofIndia' Zoo
.
bankingoffreshwaterfishes,National BureauofFish Outreach Organisation. Conservation Breeding
GeneticResources,Lucknow. SpecialistGroup, India. 156pp.
Lazarus,R.J.,V. ArivudaiNabmi&P. SitaramiReddy RemaDevi,K.(1992):Onasmallcollectionoffishfrom
(1988):Achecklistofthefishesfromthestreamsof Javadi Hills,NorthArcotdistrict,TamilNadu. Rec.
JavadiHills,withnotesontheuniquecatchingmethod. Zool. Surv. India 91(3-4): 353-360.
‘Pari’.Matsya 14:47-52. Talwar,P.K. & A.G.Jhingran(1991): Inland fishesof
Menon,A.G.K.(1992):Conservationoffreshwaterfishes India and adjacent countries. Oxford & IBH
ofpeninsularIndia.FinalreportsubmittedtoMinistry PublishingCo. Pvt.Ltd.,NewDelhi.Vols.I&II, 1158
ofEnvironmentandForests(unpubl.).31 pp. pp.
21. RANGE EXTENSION OF OSTEOBRAMA COTIO PENINSULARIS
SILAS TO KERALA
The genus Osteobrama is found in the line with 55 to 60 scales; scale-rows IVi to 9/4
Oriental region and is restricted to Pakistan, between lateral line and base of pelvic fins;
India, Bangladesh, MyanmarandChina(Talwar predorsal scales 21-24.
andJhingran, 1991). This genus is characterised Osteobrama cotio peninsularis can be
by having a dorsal fin inserted slightly behind easily identified from its closely related
pelvic fins with 11 or 12 rays (8 or9 branched), subspecies by the presence of fewer branched
a strong serrated spine and a long anal fin with rays in the anal fin, less than 10‘A scale-rows
14-36rays (11-13 branched). Thepresentreport between lateral line and pelvic fin, greater
ofOsteobramacotiopeninsularisisbasedontwo number oflateral line scales and lesser number
specimens collected from Periyar river, Central ofpre-dorsalscales. Itcanbedistinguishedfrom
Kerala. O. cotio cotio in the lesser number ofbranched
rays in the anal fin, less than lO’A scale-rows
Osteobrama cotio peninsularis Silas between lateral line and pelvic fin; and it can
also be distinguished from O. cotio cunma by
Distinguishing characters: D iii-iv 8-9; the presence of greater number of lateral line
A iii 28-31; PI 12-14; Vi 9. scales and fewerpre-dorsal scales.
Body trapezoid and considerably Geographic distribution: Peninsular
compressed, itsdepth2.2to2.9timesinstandard India: Maharashtra,Orissa,AndhraPradeshand
length; abdominal edge trenchant from base of Kerala.
pelvic fins to anal fin, but rounded in front of Remarks: The genus Osteobrama is
pelvic fins. Mouth small; barbels absent. Dorsal represented by seven species in India, ofwhich
spine weak and serrated. Scales small; lateral O. bakeri is endemic to Kerala. O. bakeri is the
JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(3), DEC. 1999 481