Distribution, threats and conservation status of the Wayanad Mahseer, Neolissochilus wynaadensis (Day, 1873) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae): an endemic large barb of the Western Ghats, India

Anvar Ali,K Krishnakumar,Siby Philip,Neelesh Dahanukar,Rajeev Raghavan

doi:10.11609/jott.o3901.5686-99

Abstract

The Wayanad Mahseer Neolissochilus wynaadensis (Day, 1873) is an endemic cyprinid fish that occurs in the upland streams and rivers of the southern region of the Western Ghats. This species has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its restricted distribution and heavy declines in populations. Like many large cyprinids of the Western Ghats, N. wynaadensis is poorly known and documented, with very few verified records and voucher specimens. Based on specimens recently collected from Wayanad, Kerala, the type locality, as well as two additional locations in the Kodagu District of Karnataka; we provide information on the current distribution, phylogenetic position, threats and conservation. An updated conservation assessment of this species following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria is also provided.

Highlights

The cyprinid genus, Neolissochilus Rainboth, 1985, comprises of 25 species of medium to large sized barbs, of which 22 are known to occur in Southeast Asia and seven in the Indian subcontinent (Table 1)
In the wake of this new information, we propose a revised Red List status for N. wynaadensis
Taxonomy and generic status Neolissochilus wynaadensis has been placed in different genera, viz.: Barbus (Barbodes) (Day 1873, 1878, 1889), Barbus (Puntius) (Hora & Law 1941), Puntius (Tonapi & Mulherkar 1963; Jayaram 1981; Manimekalan 1998), Neolissochilus (Rainboth 1985; Talwar & Jhingran 1991; Devi et al 1996; Pethiyagoda et al 2012), and Barbodes (Wu 1977; Zhu 1995; Chen et al 1999)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The cyprinid genus, Neolissochilus Rainboth, 1985, comprises of 25 species of medium to large sized barbs, of which 22 are known to occur in Southeast Asia (see Kottelat 2013) and seven in the Indian subcontinent (Table 1). They are important game fishes in parts of South and Southeast Asia (Jhingran 1977; Khaironizam 2010) and are known to occur in the aquarium pet trade (Khaironizam 2010). In the wake of this new information, we propose a revised Red List status for N. wynaadensis

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Neolissochilus hexagonolepis Neolissochilus stracheyi