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4 June 2021.
Introduction:
According to TATA Power, Blue-finned Mahseer has moved to “least concern” status which was listed in red list of endangered species of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) earlier.
Highlights
- TATA group is involved in conservation of blue-finned and golden mahseer for 50 years in Lonavala.
- Golden mahseer is still in danger of going extinct.
- About five lakh mahseer are bred at Walvan Hatchery in Lonavala, where group has created an artificial lake for their conservation.
About Mahseer
- Mahseer is the common name for generaTor.
- These fishes are found across Vietnam in north and China in south, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Asia, Indian Peninsula, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
- They are commercially important game fish and highly esteemed food fish.
- They have a high market price and are potential candidate species for aquaculture.
Concerns and threats:
- Several larger species of Mahseer have suffered severe declines which are now considered threatened because of pollution, overfishing and habitat loss.
- Concerns are increasing regarding impacts of unregulated release of artificially bred stock of limited number of species.
Characteristics:
- They inhabit both rivers and lakes.
- Most of species ascend into rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding.
- They are omnivorous.
- They eat algae, crustaceans, frogs, insects and other fish.
- They also eat fruits that fall from trees overhead.