Threatened fishes of the world: Puntius sarana (Hamilton 1822) (Cyprinidae)

Abstract

Common name: Olive barb (English). Conservation status: Critically endangered in Bangladesh (IUCN 2000), vulnerable category in India (Mijkherjee et al. 2002). Identification: DIII+8, AIII+5, V9, P15. The largest species in this genus (Fig. 1), a moderately compressed body with two pairs of barbels, lateral line scales 32–34. Maximum length 42 cm, and 1.4 kg (Rahman 2005). Distribution: Widely distributed in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Thailand (Talwar and Jhingran 1991). Abundance: Very low abundance in a few rivers and floodplains of Bangladesh. Habitat and ecology: Inhabits mostly freshwater and occasionally brackish water. It feeds on aquatic insects, algae and shrimp (Riede 2004). Reproduction: Mature fish (at least 1 year old) breed during April-September (Sinha 1973; Khanam et al. 2008), in running, shallow waters with submerged vegetation. Threats: Poor survival of egg and larvae (Chondar 1999), over-exploitation and habitat degradation (Chakraborty et al. 2003). Conservation action: Some permanent fish sanctuaries have been established in the deeper portions of some rivers and floodplains (Jamuna and the Brahmaputra basins). Several initiatives have been undertaken to promote the species among the farmers after developing aquaculture techniques (Chakraborty et al. 2005). The development of ‘cryopreservation protocol’ for olive barb sperm is under way in Bangladesh. Conservation recommendations: Sustainable fisheries management plan along with mass awareness and conservation based re-stocking program need to be implemented. Remarks: The olive barb is a popular food fish having high market demand in Bangladesh and in other South Asian countries (Jena et al. 2007). Its introduction into carp polyculture system would not only help in diversification of aquaculture Environ Biol Fish (2010) 87:197–198 DOI 10.1007/s10641-010-9579-z