The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a
perennial river
A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abs ...
that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of
Pothigai
The Pothigai Hills, also known as Agasthiyar Mountain is a 1,866-metre (6,122 ft)-tall peak in the southern part of the Western Ghats of South India. The peak lies in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu near the border of Kerala.
The ar ...
hills of the
Western Ghats, above
Papanasam
Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Kumbakonam. The name literally translates to "Destruction of Sins" in the Tamil language. It is the suburban region ...
in the
Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a popu ...
taluk. It flows through
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
and
Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
districts of the
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
state of southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
into the
Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar ( ) is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean with an average depth of . . It was called the
Tamraparni
Tamraparni (Sanskrit for "with copper leaves" or "red-leaved") is an older name for multiple distinct places, including Sri Lanka, Tirunelveli in India, and the Thamirabarani River that flows through Tirunelveli.
As a name for Sri Lanka
The r ...
River in the pre-classical period, a name it lent to the island of
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The old Tamil name of the river is Porunai. From the source to sea, the river is about long and is the only
perennial river
A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abs ...
in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. This river flows towards north direction initially. However, it changes to east direction later.
Etymology
From the Tamilakam era, the area of the Tamraparni river, in
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
, Tamil Nadu, has had changes in its name, from the original ''Tan Porunai'' river to ''Tamira Porunai'', from ''Tamraparni'' to ''Tambraparni'' and now called "Thamirabarani River". A meaning for the term following its derivation became "copper-colored leaf", from the words ''Thamiram'' (
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
/red) in Tamil/Sanskrit and ''parani'' meaning leaf/tree, translating to "river of red leaves". According to the ''Tamraparni Mahatmyam'', an ancient account of the river from its rise to its mouth, a string of red lotus flowers from sage
Agastya
Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the I ...
at
Pothigai hills
The Pothigai Hills, also known as Agasthiyar Mountain is a 1,866-metre (6,122 ft)-tall peak in the southern part of the Western Ghats of South India. The peak lies in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu near the border of Kerala.
The ar ...
transformed itself into a damsel at the sight of Lord
Siva, forming the river and giving it its divine name. Other name derivations include the Pali term "Tambapanni", "Tamradvipa" of Sanskrit speakers and "Taprobana" of ancient Greek cartographers.
Robert Knox
Robert Knox (4 September 1791 – 20 December 1862) was a Scottish anatomist and ethnologist best known for his involvement in the Burke and Hare murders. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Knox eventually partnered with anatomist and former teache ...
reported from his 20 years of captivity on the island in the hills that "Tombrane is a name of the
Sri Lankan Tamil people
Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pro ...
for God in Tamil, which they often repeated as they lifted up their hands and faces towards Heaven".
History
Its many name derivations of Tan Porunai include Tampraparani, Tamirabarni, Tamiravaruni. Tan Porunai nathi finds mention by classical Tamil poets in ancient
Sangam Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
literature ''
Purananuru
The ''Purananuru'' (, literally "four hundred oemsin the genre puram"), sometimes called ''Puram'' or ''Purappattu'', is a classical Tamil poetic work and traditionally the last of the Eight Anthologies (''Ettuthokai'') in the Sangam literatu ...
''. Recognised as a
holy river
Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. T ...
in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
literature ''
Puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
'', ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
'' and ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
'', the river was famed in the
Early Pandyan Kingdom
The Early Pandyas of the Sangam period were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country, the other two being the Cholas, and Cheras Dynasty. As with many other kingdoms around this period (earlier than 200 BCE), most of the inf ...
for its pearl and conch fisheries and trade.
The movement of people, including the faithful, trade merchants and toddy tapers from Tamraparni river to northwestern Sri Lanka led to the shared appellation of the name for the closely connected region. One important historical document on the river is the treatise ''Tamraparni Mahatmyam''. It has many ancient temples along its banks. A hamlet known as
Appankoil is located on the northern side of the river.
In the
Mahābhārata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
(3:88) the river is mentioned as "Listen, O son of Kunti, I shall now describe Tamraparni. In that asylum the gods had undergone penances impelled by the desire of obtaining salvation".
A Miami-based Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory published a report on 2021 which claimed that the Tamirabharani civilization along the banks of the river dates back to 3,200 years.
Hydrology
Origin
The Thamirabarani River originates from the peak of the
Pothigai hills
The Pothigai Hills, also known as Agasthiyar Mountain is a 1,866-metre (6,122 ft)-tall peak in the southern part of the Western Ghats of South India. The peak lies in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu near the border of Kerala.
The ar ...
on the eastern slopes of the
Western Ghats at an elevation of above sea-level. The river is joined by its headwater tributaries Peyar, Ullar, Pambar before it flows into the Karaiyar Dam reservoir, where it meets Karaiyar. The river forms the Paanatheertham waterfalls, high, as it enters the Kariyar reservoir. Servalar joins the Thamirabarani before it enters into the
Papanasam lower reservoir, which was built for the Papanasam Hydroelectric station. The river descends down the mountains near Papanasam, where it forms the Kalyanatheertham falls and Agasthiar falls.
Course and tributaries
The river flows on the plains eastwards from
Papanasam
Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Kumbakonam. The name literally translates to "Destruction of Sins" in the Tamil language. It is the suburban region ...
. The first tributary to join Thamirabarani in the plains is the
Manimuthar River, which originating from Manjolai hills and joins Thamirabarani near Aladiyoor village. The towns
Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a popu ...
and
Kallidaikurichi
Kallidaikurichi () or Kalladaikurichi is a town on the right bank of the Thamiraparani river in Ambasamudram Taluk of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. Etymology
'Kal + idai + kurichi' meaning exactly in Tamil ...
are located respectively on the left and right banks of Thamiraparani, after which the river meets the tributary
Gadananathi River
Gadananathi (கடனாநதி)also can be called as Gadananadhi or Gatananadhi or Kadananathi or Kadananadhi is a river flowing in the Tirunelveli district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Gadananathi originates from Agasthyamalai Bios ...
at Tiruppudaimaruthur. Before the Gadananathi's entry into the Thamirabarani, the
Gadananathi River
Gadananathi (கடனாநதி)also can be called as Gadananadhi or Gatananadhi or Kadananathi or Kadananadhi is a river flowing in the Tirunelveli district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Gadananathi originates from Agasthyamalai Bios ...
is joined by the rivers Kallar, Karunaiyar and Veeranathi or Varahanathi which joins the river Gadananathi about north-east of Kila Ambur.
The Gadananathi is fed by the
Jambunathi and
Ramanathi River
Ramanathi (ராமாநதி) is a river flowing in the Tenkasi of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Gadananathi originates from Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve.This river enters Gadananathi River in Kizha Ambur.
The Ramanadhi has 7 anicuts, a ...
s. The
Pachaiyar River which originates from the Kalakkadu reserve forests at about above sea level joins the Thamirabarani near Tharuvai village in Palayamkottai Taluk. The river bisects the twin cities
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
and
Palayamkottai
Palayamkottai (also Palayankottai) is a neighbourhood in Tirunelveli City, incorporated within the Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation. It is situated on the east bank of the Thamirabarani river, with the exception of its downtown area, whi ...
before meeting its major and affluent tributary Chithar (Chitranathi) which arises in the Kutralam hills and receives supply from the rivers Gundar, Hanumanathi and Karuppanathi(vairavangkulam kadayanallur) .The
Chittar River
Chittar River and its five tributaries and numerous other contributing streams originate in the Courtallam hills of Tenkasi District in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Together with its tributaries and streams, the Chittar River ser ...
runs almost parallel to Thamirabarani till it joins the main river near Sivalaperi. Thamirabarani passes through the taluks of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai of Tirunelveli district and
Srivaikundam and
Tiruchendur
Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan.
Etymology
Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns in the st ...
taluks of
Thoothukkudi district.
;List of major tributaries
Drain
![Tamil Nadu topo deutsch mit Gebirgen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Tamil_Nadu_topo_deutsch_mit_Gebirgen.png)
The river drains into
Gulf of Mannar
The Gulf of Mannar ( ) is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean with an average depth of . near Punnaikayal in Tiruchendur taluk of
Tuticorin
Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
district. The river drains with its tributaries an area of about . As most of its extensive
catchment areas lie in the Western Ghats, the river enjoys the full benefit of both the monsoons, which make the river perennial. Since all its tributaries are arising from the Western ghats, the river is prone to heavy floods especially during the
northeast monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...
. In 1992, there was an unexpected flood in Thamirabarani, which claimed hundreds of lives as the dam water was let out so massively and suddenly that the river and its channels could not bear the excess water inflow. It flooded again in 2015 with water entering the Kurukuthurai Murugan Temple.
Irrigation
The many
anicut
An anicut (Originated from Tamil language அணைக்கட்டு - Aṇaikaṭṭu and Kannada language ಆಣೆಕಟ್ಟು - Āṇekaṭṭu) is a masonry check dam
A steel check dam
A check dam is a small, sometimes temporary, ...
s,
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
s and
reservoirs
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...
on the Thamirabarani river, along with those on the
Manimuthar River, provide a large proportion of the water for irrigation and power generation for Tirunelveli district. It is fed by both the monsoons – the south west and the north-eastern and is seen in full spate twice a year if the monsoons do not fail. The
Gadananathi River
Gadananathi (கடனாநதி)also can be called as Gadananadhi or Gatananadhi or Kadananathi or Kadananadhi is a river flowing in the Tirunelveli district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Gadananathi originates from Agasthyamalai Bios ...
has 6 anicuts and a reservoir of , and irrigates of wetlands. The Ramanadhi has 7 anicuts, a reservoir of , and irrigates of wetlands. Pachaiyar River has 12 anicuts and irrigates of wet and dry lands.
The important irrigation channels branching off from both the banks of the river Thamirabarani are, South Kodaimelalagian channel, North Kodaimelalagian channel (Kodaimelalagian anicut), Nathiyunni channel (Nathiyunni anicut), Kannadian channel (Kannadian anicut), Kodagan channel (Ariyanayagipuram anicut), Palayam (Palavur anicut) channel, Tirunelveli channel (
Suthamalli anicut), Marudur Melakkal, Marudur Keelakkal (Marudur anicut), South Main Channel and North Main Channel (Srivaikundam anicut). Of these the first seven anicuts were constructed during the period of ancient and medieval rulers and the last anicut namely the Srivaikundam anaicut was constructed and completed by the British in 1869.
List of dams across Thamirabarani river:
# Kodaimelaalagain anicut,
# Nathiyunni anicut,
# Kannadian anicut,
# Ariyanayagipuram anicut,
# Palavur anicut,
# Suthamalli anicut,
# Marudur anicut,
List of channels:
# South Kodaimelalagain channel
# North Kodaimelalagain channel
# Nathiyunni channel
# Kannadian channel
# Kodagan channel
# Palayam channel
# Tirunelveli channel
# Marudur Melakkal
Pollution and exploitation
*Mixing of sewage, paper mill and industrial effluents, dumping etc. into the river is a worrying aspect.
*Sand mining in this river was banned in 2010 but it still continues illegally.
*Illegal encroachments of its banks is also a growing concern.
*Pepsi and other Cola companies bottling facility plants were thought to be exploiting the river water, however a court ruling in April 2018 dismissed the allegations and allowed the companies to extract excess water as per the original agreements they have signed.
*Many industries have come in the banks of the river in and around
Srivaikuntam
Tiruvaikuntam is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the river Thamirabarani.
Tiruvaikuntam has a temple dedicated to Vishnu, known as Tiruvaikuntapathi Swami, with a lofty go ...
that injudicially use the river water and discharge untreated sewer.
*Untreated sewer of towns like
Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a popu ...
,
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
,
Papanasam
Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Kumbakonam. The name literally translates to "Destruction of Sins" in the Tamil language. It is the suburban region ...
etc. also reduce the water quality downstream.
* Religious practices like letting your clothes along the river at
Papanasam
Papanasam is a panchayat town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Kumbakonam. The name literally translates to "Destruction of Sins" in the Tamil language. It is the suburban region ...
as an act to wash sins after a bath has also clogged up the river..
*After the Sorimuthu Aiyanar Temple yearly festival upstream in the forests near
Karayar dam the bacteria level in the river increases as thousands and thousands of people bathe at one go.
Fishes
Thamirabarani River is full of fishes and it is one of the
perennial river
A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abs ...
s in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. Locals not involved in fishing resulting in the vast diversity of fishes in the river.
As water flows non-stop throughout the year, it is one of the most fish-rich river in the world where the river is dominated by more than 16 native
Snakehead species. It is estimated that nearly 669 fish species found in the river.
Snakehead
Various types of snakehead fish species like
Channa diplogramma
The Malabar snakehead (''Channa diplogramma'') is a vulnerable species of snakehead from fresh water in the Western Ghats in India. Until 2011, its scientific name was usually considered to be a synonym of '' C. micropeltes'', the giant snakeh ...
,
Channa bleheri
''Channa bleheri'' (the rainbow snakehead) is a species of dwarf snakehead that is endemic to the Brahmaputra River basin in the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.SeriouslyFishChanna bleheri Retrieved 11 February 2019. It is among the ...
,
Channa striata
''Channa striata'', the striped snakehead, is a species of snakehead fish. It is also known as the common snakehead, chevron snakehead, or snakehead murrel and generally referred simply as mudfish. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, and ...
,
Channa maculata,
Channa punctata
''Channa punctata'', the spotted snakehead, is a species of snakehead. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and nearby areas, ranging across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Tibet
Tibet (; '' ...
,
Channa harcourtbutleri
''Channa harcourtbutleri'', the Burmese snakehead, is a species of Channidae, snakehead endemism, endemic to Inle Lake and surroundings in Myanmar. Locally called ''nga ohn-ma'', among aquarists it is considered one of the dwarf snakeheads, but ...
,
Channa asiatica,
Channa marulius
''Channa marulius'' (bullseye snakehead or great snakehead) is a large species of snakehead native to South Asia. Populations in Southeast Asia are now regarded as separate species.Adamson, E. A. S. and R. Britz (2018). The snakehead fish Channa ...
found throughout the river. Snakeheads are considered as top level predators in Thamirabarani River.
Northern Snakehead
The northern snakehead (''Channa argus'') is a species of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea, ranging from the Amur River to Hainan. It has been introduced to other regions, where it is considered invasive. In ...
also found in small numbers on the starting part of river where top level predators like other snakeheads are missing. Thamirabarani River is the largest reservoir of
Snakehead in the world with 17 types of Snakeheads present in this river. Snakehead fishes are locally called as ''Viraal'' in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
and all the species are consumed as food around the regions of Thamirabarani when they enter paddy fields.
Catfish
Following
Snakehead, Catfish are also abundant in the river.
African Catfish are an invasive species first caught in 2009 in the
Aruvankulam area of
Tirunelveli district. The most common catfish species found are
Blue Catfish
The blue catfish (''Ictalurus furcatus'') is the largest species of North American catfish, reaching a length of and a weight of . The typical length is about 25–46 in (64–117 cm). The fish can live to 20 years. The native distribution ...
,
Channel Catfish
The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...
,
Flathead Catfish
The flathead catfish (''Pylodictis olivaris''), also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus ''P ...
,
Mystus guli Catfish,
Pangas Catfish
''Pangasius pangasius'', the Pangas catfish, is a species of shark catfish
The shark catfishes form the family Pangasiidae. They are found in fresh and brackish waters across southern Asia, from Pakistan to Borneo. Among the 30-odd members of ...
, ''
P. hodgarti,'' Goonch catfish, ''
Pseudolaguvia''. 13 species of Catfish species found throughout this river.
Alligator Gar
Alligator Gar is not native to the river but caught sometimes. this was the result of releasing aquarium fish into the wild. on 2015, over 100 Juvenile alligator gar fishes caught and handed over to local authority. Because of the presence of huge number of native
Snakehead fishes, the Alligator Gar invasion is not spreading and under control.
Eels
Eels found in this river mainly belongs to
Anguillidae
The Anguillidae are a family of ray-finned fish that contains the freshwater eels. Eighteen of the 19 extant species and six subspecies in this family are in the genus ''Anguilla''. They are elongated fish with snake-like bodies, their long dorsa ...
and
Synbranchiformes family and most common one is
Indian mottled eel (Anguilla b. bengalensis). 90 species of eel found in this river. the fish ''
Macrognathus
''Macrognathus'' is a genus of eel-like fish of the family Mastacembelidae of the order Synbranchiformes.
These fish are distributed throughout most of South and Southeast Asia. ''Macrognathus'' species feed on small aquatic insect larvae as ...
'' found in this river is mistakenly thought as eel because of its eel-like structure.
Carp
Carp fishes found in large numbers throughout the river. Three type of carp fishes are
silver carp
The silver carp (''Hypophthalmichthys molitrix'') is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to China and eastern Siberia, from the Amur River drainage in the north to the Xi Jiang River drainage in the south. Alt ...
,
grass carp
The grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') is a species of large herbivorous freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae, native to the Pacific Far East, with a native range stretching from northern Vietnam to the Amur River on the Sino-Russian ...
,
common carp
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
. These three species of carp form 75% of carp fish population in Thamirabarani River.
Loaches
Large number of species of sucker fishes found throughout the river. the most common one is
Acanthocobitis botia ''and''
Horseface loach''.''
Pangio
''Pangio'' is a genus of small Asian freshwater fish in the true loach family Cobitidae. In earlier taxonomic schemes it was known as ''Acanthophthalmus''. The " kuhli loach" is well-known in the aquarium trade and commonly identified as ''P. ku ...
loach,
Schistura
''Schistura'' is a genus of fish in the stone loach family Nemacheilidae native to the streams and rivers of the southern and eastern Asia. Some of these species are troglobitic
A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or ...
loach also common in this river and
Schistura
''Schistura'' is a genus of fish in the stone loach family Nemacheilidae native to the streams and rivers of the southern and eastern Asia. Some of these species are troglobitic
A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or ...
is mistakenly treated as snake or eel because of its snake-like appearance.
Others
Other fishes belong to genus ''
Puntius
''Puntius'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to South Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia, as well as Taiwan.
Many species formerly placed in ''Puntius'' have been moved to other genera such as ''Barbodes'', ''Daw ...
'', ''
Devario
''Devario'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae native to the rivers and streams of South and Southeast Asia. These fishes have short barbels and many species having vertical or horizontal stripes. These species consume various small, aqu ...
'', ''
Etroplus
''Etroplus'' is a small genus of cichlids native to southern India and Sri Lanka. Together with ''Pseudetroplus'' (which formerly was included in ''Etroplus''), they are the only ciclids of this region.
Their closest living relatives are ''Paret ...
,
Mystus
''Mystus'' is a genus of fish in the family Bagridae native to Asia. Phylogenetic relationships within this genus are poorly understood, though it has been suggested that there are two major lineages.
Species
There are currently 46 recognized s ...
,
Aplocheilus
''Aplocheilus'' is a genus of killifish in the family Aplocheilidae. Their native range is in South and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan to Vietnam and Malaysia, and from Nepal to Sri Lanka. Several species, especially the striped panchax, ''A. lin ...
,
Dawkinsia
''Dawkinsia'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes from freshwater in South India and Sri Lanka. It was split off from genus '' Puntius'' in 2012.
Etymology
''Dawkinsia'' is named after the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in recognition of h ...
,
Garra
''Garra'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae. These fish are one example of the "log suckers", sucker-mouthed barbs and other cyprinids commonly kept in aquaria to keep down algae. The doctor fish of Anatolia and the Middle East belo ...
,
Glossogobius
''Glossogobius'' is a genus of gobies native to fresh, brackish and marine waters from Africa to the coasts of the western Pacific Ocean. They are found in Madagascar, South Africa, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippin ...
,
Macrognathus
''Macrognathus'' is a genus of eel-like fish of the family Mastacembelidae of the order Synbranchiformes.
These fish are distributed throughout most of South and Southeast Asia. ''Macrognathus'' species feed on small aquatic insect larvae as ...
,
Batasio
''Batasio'' is a genus of catfish of the family (biology), family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South Asia, South and mainland Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy
''Batasio'' was first described by Edward Blyth ...
,
Barilius
''Barilius'' is a large genus of cyprinid freshwater fishes native to Asia. Four species in this genus have been described since 2012.
Species
There are currently 31 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Barilius ardens'' Knight, A. Rai, D ...
,
Badidae'', ''
Clupisoma
''Clupisoma'' is a genus of catfish in the family Ailiidae native to Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which sh ...
,
Nemacheilus
''Nemacheilus'' is a genus of stone loaches native to Asia.
Species
There are currently 44 recognized species in this genus:
* '' Nemacheilus anguilla'' Annandale, 1919 (eel loach)
* '' Nemacheilus arenicolus'' Kottelat, 1998
* '' Nemacheil ...
,
Oreichthys
''Oreichthys'' is a genus of tropical Barb (fish), barbs found in Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Myanmar (Burma), northern Malay Peninsula, and the Mekong basin in Laos. They are found in ditches, ponds, streams (both highland and lowland) a ...
,
Oryzias
''Oryzias'' is a genus of ricefishes native to fresh and brackish water in east and south Asia. Some species are widespread and the Japanese rice fish (''O. latipes'') is commonly used in science as a model organism, while others have very smal ...
,
Osteobrama
''Osteobrama'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in southern Asia consisting of eight species. The name is derived from the Greek word ''osteon'', meaning "bone", and the Old French word ''breme'', a type of freshwater fish.
Species
*''Osteobra ...
,
Raiamas
''Raiamas'' is a genus of cyprinid freshwater fishes. The majority of the species are from Africa, but ''R. bola'' and ''R. guttatus '' are from South and Southeast Asia.
Species
* '' Raiamas ansorgii'' ( Boulenger, 1910)
* '' Raiamas batesii ...
,
Salmophasia, Tor (
Masheer),
Xenentodon
''Xenentodon'' is a genus of needlefishes native to Asia. It is one of ten genera in the family Belonidae.
Species
There are currently two recognized species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank ...
,'' are commonly found in this river''.''
References
External links
{{Authority control
Rivers of Tamil Nadu
Geography of Tirunelveli district
Thoothukudi district
Tirunelveli
Rivers in Buddhism
Rivers of India