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Fishes

The Popondetta Blue-eye (Pseudomugil connieae) occurs


in three river systems within a 50 km radius of Popondetta,
Papua New Guinea. Its total range area is no more than
16,000 km². Human population growth in Popondetta is the
main threat to this fish, with increased urbanization and
agriculture, which are potential sources of water pollution,
resulting in reduced habitat quality within these river
systems. This fish is also a much sought after species in the
aquarium trade, which poses another potential threat to the
population. The species entered the IUCN Red List as
Vulnerable in 2009. Photo © Gerald Allen
Kunming Snout Trout (Schizothorax grahami) is known
only from Lake Dianchi, and its tributaries and connented
springs in Yunnan Province, China. Its range size has been
reduced over the last 20 years due to introduced fish
species, water pollution, over-fishing, and loss of breeding
sites due to siltation and blocked access. As a result, the
species is assessed as Critically Endangered. This fish is
no longer caught in the lake itself; currently it is known to
occur only in two tributaries and two springs of the
Songhuaba reservoir drainage. Photo © Tony Whitten

The Golden Line Fish (Sinocyclocheilus grahami) is endemic


to Lake Dianchi and its tributaries and springs in Yunnan
Province, China. It used to be a very common and important
commercial fishery species, but it has undergone a massive
population decline from around the mid-1960s and totally
disappeared from the lake body in the 1990s. This fish
supported a high harvest in the lake before the 1960s. Surveys
carried out since 1999 have found it only existing in one lake
tributary and some temple spring ponds. Its loss from the lake
is likely due to introduced fish species, declining water quality,
loss of macrophytes (in part due to the Grass Carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella), over-fishing, and also breeding
sites lost due to siltation and blocked access. Current threats
to the springs are introduced species (especially Rainbow
Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and Red-eared Slider Turtle
Trachemys scripta elegans) and land use adjacent to the
springs. This fish is listed as Critically Endangered in the
IUCN Red List. Photo © J.X. Yang

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The Giant Pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei) is a Critically
Endangered fish found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong river
basins in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam.
It is inhabits the bottom and midwaters of large rivers
surrounded by rainforest, and uses deep pools as refuges in
the dry season. Though this fish migrates within freshwater, it
does not appear to migrate over the Khone Falls, and may
therefore be separated into two sub-populations. Overfishing
for food, and to a lesser extent the aquarium trade, is the
principle threat facing this species. Local fisherman have
reported dramatic declines in sightings and catch, and a
population decline of more than 99% over the past 30-45 years
is inferred. This species is likely to have been affected by the
destruction of rapids and reefs as part of the Upper Mekong
Navigation Improvement Project, and by the construction of
dams. Projects such as these affect the natural flood/drought
cycles throughout the river, and therefore the migratory
behaviour of fish such as the Giant Pangasius. Photo ©
Chavalit Vidthayanon
The Red Line Torpedo Barb (Puntius denisonii) is a
Vulnerable species known from only four rivers in the
Western Ghats, India. Its total range area is less than 9,000
km². The biodiversity in this region is under threat from
deforestation, agriculture, mining, hydroelectric projects,
and urban expansion, all of which have a severe
environmental impact on soil and water quality. This fish is
also a very popular ornamental aquarium fish, both in
national and international markets. Currently many of these
endemic, high value ornamental fishes are exploited for
commercial purposes from the wild, but the quantities of
these fishes exploited for trade purposes are not available.
Photo © A. Gopalakrishnan
The African Lungfish (Protopterus annectens) is found in
marginal swamps and backwaters of rivers and lakes. Like
all African lungfishes, this fish has adapted to be able to
survive in conditions where water oxygen levels are low, or
when its freshwater habitat has completely dried up. It
normally lives on flood plains, and when these dry up it
secretes a thin slime around itself, which dries into a
cocoon and allows this fish to survive out of water for many
months. There are no threats known to be currently
affecting this widespread species and it is an example of
one of the Least Concern species currently included on the
IUCN Red List. Photo © T. Moritz

Betta pinguis is known only from the middle Kapuas River


basin in Indonesia. In the last ten years, illegal gold mining
in this basin area has increased dramatically, and as a
result the Kapuas River is experiencing environmental
problems, including an increase in mercury pollution in the
river. So far, efforts to prevent water pollution and
environmental destruction in the basin have failed, and the
damage continues. In addition, freshwater habitats in
Kalimantan are threatened by deforestation, conversion of
land to agriculture, overfishing, the introduction of exotics
and the aquaculture industry. It is inferred that the Betta
pinguis population is declining as a result of these threats,
and the species entered the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable
in 2009. Photo © Heok Hui Tan

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The Pungu (Pungu maclareni) is a Critically Endangered
fish endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo, in Cameroon. It lives
near the lake bottom in the shallow water of the lake shore
and feeds on benthic invertebrates. Females brood their
eggs in their mouths. Lake Barombi Mbo is at risk from the
effects of introduced crustaceans and fishes, water pollution,
and siltation due to local deforestation and water extraction
for agriculture and domestic use, all of which pose a threat to
the Pungu. Fluctuations in the lake level have impacted fish
breeding sites. The Pungu is also collected for the aquariam
trade. Photo © Ulrich Schliewen

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Puntius denisonii

• Summary
• Classification Schemes
• Images & External Links
• Bibliography
• Full Account
Taxonomy
Assessment Information
Geographic Range
Population
Habitat and Ecology
Threats
Conservation Actions
Bibliography
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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family


ANIMALIA CHORDATA ACTINOPTERYGII CYPRINIFORMES CYPRINIDAE

Scientific Name: Puntius denisonii


Species Authority: (Day, 1865)
Common Name/s:
English – Denison Barb, Red Line Torpedo Barb

Synonym/s: Barbus denisoni (Day, 1865)


Barbus denisonii (Day, 1865)
Crossocheilus denisonii (Day,1865)
Labeo denisonii Day, 1865
Puntius denisoni (Day, 1865)

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Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1


& Criteria:
Year Assessed: 2007
Assessor/s Devi, R. & Boguskaya, N.
Evaluator/s: Collen, B., Darwall, W., Ram, M. & Smith, K. (SRLI Freshwater Fish Evaluation
Workshop)
Justification:
P. denisonii has been assessed as Vulnerable because it has a restricted Extent of Occurrence (less than
20,000 km²), is suffering from a decline in habitat quality and number of mature individuals, and is found in four
locations.

Geographic Range [top]

Range This species is endemic to four rivers - the Cheenkannipuzha (a major tributary of the
Description: Valapattanam river), Achankovil, Chaliyar, and near Mundakayam town) Kerala, India.
The species has an estimated range of 8,805 km².
Countries: ve:
a (Kerala)

Population [top]

Population: Initial studies using microsatellite markers have shown signs of genetic bottleneck in the
Valapattanam River population (R. Devi, Pers. Comm.).
Population Trend:
Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and P. denisonii is a benthopelagic species which inhabits fast flowing hill streams, and is a
Ecology: fast and active shoaling fish.
Systems: Freshwater
List of Habitats: 5 Wetlands (inland)
5.1 Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): P. denisonii is likely to be threatened by habitat degradation. The biodiversity of the
Western Ghats is under threat owing to deforestation, agriculture, mining, hydroelectric
projects, and urban expansion, all of which has a severe environmental impact on soil
and water quality.

P. denisonii is also a very popular ornamental aquarium fish, in national and international
markets. Currently many of the endemic, high value ornamental fishes are exploited for
commercial purposes from the wild, but the quantities of these fishes exploited for trade
purposes are not available.
List of Threats: 1 Residential & commercial development
1.1 Housing & urban areas
2 Agriculture & aquaculture
2.2 Wood & pulp plantations
2.2.2 Agro-industry plantations
2.3 Livestock farming & ranching
2.3.3 Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming

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3 Energy production & mining
3.2 Mining & quarrying
5 Biological resource use
5.3 Logging & wood harvesting
5.3.2 Intentional use: (large scale)
5.4 Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources
5.4.1 Intentional use: (subsistence/small scale)
7 Natural system modifications
7.2 Dams & water management/use
7.2.11 Dams (size unknown)
9 Pollution
9.1 Domestic & urban waste water
9.1.3 Type Unknown/Unrecorded
9.2 Industrial & military effluents
9.2.2 Seepage from mining
9.3 Agricultural & forestry effluents
9.3.4 Type Unknown/Unrecorded

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation It is not known if there are any conservation measures in place or needed.
Actions:
List of 1 Land/water protection
Conservation 1.2 Resource & habitat protection
Actions:
Citations:
 Anon. 1999. Fish collection database of the Natural History Museum (London).
Available at: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-
curation/research/projects/fish/index.dsml.
 Baensch, H.A. and Riehl, R. 1997. Aquarien Atlas. Band 5. Mergus Verlag GmBH,
Melle, Germany.
 Dahanukar, N., Raut, R. and Bhat, A. 2004. Distribution, endemism and threat
status of freshwater fishes in the Western Ghats of India. Journal of
Biogeography 31: 123-136.
 Froese, R and Pauly, D. 2006. FishBase.
 Gopalakrishnan, A. and Ponniah, A.G. 2000. Cultivable, ornamental, sport and food
fishes endemic to Peninsular India with special reference to Western Ghats.
In: A.G. Ponniah and A. Gopalakrishnan (eds), Endemic Fish Diversity of
Western Ghats, pp. 13-32. NBFGR-NATP Publication. National Bureau of Fish
Genetic Resources, Lucknow, U.P., India.
 Hanel, L. and Novák, J. 2002. České názvy zivočichů V. Ryby a ryboviti obratlovci
(Pisces) 3., maloústí (Gonorhynchiformes) - máloostní (Cypriniformes).
Národní muzeum (zoologické oddělení), Praha.
 IUCN. 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2009.2). Available at:
www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 3 November 2009).
 Kapoor, D., Dayal, R. and Ponniah, A.G. 2002. Fish biodiversity of India. National
Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow.
 Kurup, B.M., Radhakrishnan, K.V. and Manojkumar, T.G. 2003. Biodiversity Status
of Fishes Inhabiting Rivers of Kerala (SouthIndia) with Special Reference to
Endemism, Threats and Conservation Measures. Large Rivers Symposium 2:
Sustaining Livelihoods and Biodiversity in the New Millenium. Phnom Penh.
 Molur, S. and Walker, S. 1998. Freshwater fishes of India. Conservation
Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) Workshop. Zoo Outreach
Organisation, Tamil Nadu, India.
 Talwar, P.K. and Jhingran, A.G. 1991. Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent
Countries. A.A. Balkema/Rotterdam.
 Varjo, M., L. Koli and H. Dahlström. 2004. Kalannimiluettelo (versio 10/03). Suomen
Biologian Seura Vanamo Ry.
 Wu, H.L., Shao, K.T. and Lai, C.F. 1999. Latin-Chinese dictionary of fishes names.
The Sueichan Press, Taiwan.
Citation: Devi, R. & Boguskaya, N. 2007. Puntius denisonii. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on
27 January 2010.

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Bibliography [top]

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