''Tor putitora'', the Putitor mahseer, Himalayan mahseer, or golden mahseer, is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

species of

cyprinid Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest verte ...

fish that is found in rapid streams, riverine pools, and lakes in the Himalayan region. Its native range is within the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. It is a popular

gamefish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...

, once believed to be the largest species of

mahseer Mahseer is the common name used for the genera ''Tor'', ''Neolissochilus'', '' Naziritor'' and '' Parator'' in the family Cyprinidae (carps). The name is, however, more often restricted to members of the genus ''Tor''.Sen TK, Jayaram KC, 1982. Th ...

, and can reach up to in length and in weight, though most caught today are far smaller. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

habitat degradation Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...

, and it already has declined by more than an estimated 50%. This

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutri ...

species is generally found near the surface in water that ranges from . Its caudal, pelvic, and anal fins show tint of reddish-golden colour. While the body above its lateral line is generally golden in colour at adulthood, the gold colour might be absent in young specimens.
Hamilton's original description says "The head is blunt, oval, small, and smooth". He goes on to say "The mouth is small" and "the lateral line is scarcely distinguishable". However, the largest head of any mahseer species, with a large mouth and prominent lateral line stripe, are features considered to be important in the correct identification of this species. A

cavefish Cavefish or cave fish is a generic term for fresh and brackish water fish adapted to life in caves and other underground habitats. Related terms are subterranean fish, troglomorphic fish, troglobitic fish, stygobitic fish, phreatic fish and hypog ...

species found in

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of As ...

in India is likely derived from this species. The Himalayan Golden Mahaseer is the

National fish National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

.. It is also the state fish of the states of

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares int ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, Madhyapradesh and the UT of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

Releases beyond native range

Recent releases of artificially bred stock have been into the

Irrawaddy River The Irrawaddy River ( Ayeyarwady River; , , from Indic ''revatī'', meaning "abounding in riches") is a river that flows from north to south through Myanmar (Burma). It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Origi ...

basin in Nagaland, India and, through the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme releases into the Hira Bambai reservoir and small streams around

Melghat Melghat was among the first nine tiger reserves of India to be notified in 1973 under Project Tiger. It is located at in the northern part of Amravati District of Maharashtra. Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as in 1985. The Tapti Riv ...

Tiger Reserve, part of the

Tapti River The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...

basin. The effect of releasing fish from a different river basin, well outside its native range is uncertain. That these fish are being released over a ten-year period, with as many as 10,000 in each batch, must be considered a huge threat to the native mahseer and other fish species. According to Dr Ogale, former scientist leading the fish breeding programme for Tata Power: "When these mature, there will be more fingerlings which will be then introduced in river Tapi". River Tapi is a west-flowing river of the central Indian state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

. Most researchers believe this fish is in a population decline, hence the Red Listing status of Endangered. Some, however, have noted that Tor putitora is "quite abundant", which also raises questions about the status of ongoing stock augmentation programmes.

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2741221 Taxa named by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton Fish described in 1822 Cyprinid fish of Asia Freshwater fish of China Freshwater fish of India Symbols of Uttarakhand Fish of Pakistan National symbols of Pakistan