Mahseer Tube Fly Fishing
| Mahseer |
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| Scientific classification |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia
| | Phylum: | Chordata
| | Class: | Teleostomi
| | Superorder: | Ostariophysi
| | Order: | Cypriniformes
| | Suborder: | Cyprinoidei
| | Family: | Cyprinidae
| | Subfamily: | Cyprininae
| | Genus: | Tor
Gray, 1834
Neolissochilus
Rainboth, 1985
Naziritor
Mirza & Javed, 1985
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| Species |
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See text for species. |
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Mahseer
Mahseer is the common name used for the genera Tor, Neolissochilus, and Naziritor in the family Cyprinidae (carps). The name Mahseer is however more often restricted to members of the genus Tor. The range of this fish is from Malaysia, Indonesia, across southern Asia to Pakistan, including the Indian Peninsula. They are commercially important game fish, as well as highly esteemed food fish. Mahseer fetch high market price, and are potential candidate species for aquaculture. Several of the larger species have suffered severe declines, and are now considered threatened due to pollution, habitat loss and overfishing.
The taxonomy of the mahseers is confusing due to the morphological variations they exhibit. In developing strategies for aquaculture and propagation assisted rehabilitation of mahseer species, there is a need to resolve taxonomic ambiguities.
Mahseers inhabit both rivers and lakes, ascending to rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding. Like other types of carps, they are omnivorous, eating not only algae, crustaceans, insects, frogs, and other fish, but also fruits that fall from trees overhead.
The first species from this group were scientifically described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822, and first mentioned as an angling challenge by the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1833, soon becoming a favorite quarry of British anglers living in India. The golden mahseer has been known to reach 2.75 m (9 ft) in length and 54 kg (118 lb) in weight, although specimens of this size are rarely seen nowadays. In addition to being caught for sport, mahseer are also part of commercial fishing and ornamental or aquarium fish.
Etymology
The Hindi name of mahāsir, mahāser, or mahāsaulā is used for a number of fishes of the group. British anglers in India called them the Indian salmon. Several sources of the common name mahseer have been suggested: It has been said to be derived from Sanskrit, while others claim it is derived from Indo-Persian, mahi- fish and sher- tiger or tiger among fish in Persian.Alternatively, mahā-śalka, meaning large-scaled, as the scales are so large that Buchanan mentions that playing cards were made from them at Dacca. Another theory by Henry Sullivan Thomas suggests mahā-āsya; great mouth.
