241
Distribution
Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri,
Haridwar, Tehri and Uttarkashi districts; Kumaon
Division: Almora, Nainital and Pithoragarh districts. Rajaji National Park.
India
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Punjab, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and
West Bengal (Darjeeling).
Elsewhere
Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Nepal and
Pakistan.
Habitat and Ecology
Inhabits mountain streams and rivers, preferring to live among rocks and near big submerged stones. It is a primarily bottom feeder
herbivore and feeds on algal slimes, aquatic
plants, detritus and insects encrusted on the
rocks. It breeds during April to May, before the
monsoon fl oods the rivers and streams; the fry
grows to such a size to bear the rigours of the
fl ood water.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, vulnerable.
Remarks
Of fi shery and game interest. The fl esh is much
relished.
Subfamily: Danioninae
Genus: Barilius Hamilton, 1822
12. Barilius barna (Hamilton, 1822)
Cyprinus ( Barilius ) barna Hamilton, 1822, Fish
Ganges : 268–269, 384 (type locality: Yamuna
and Brahmaputra rivers, extreme branches of
Ganges).
Barilius barna Husain, 2003 . Faun. Asan
Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 : 23–26
(Asan reservoir, Asan River above Kunja
Grant and below its barrage).
English Name
Barna Baril.
Local Names
Childi, Dhaur, Popta.
Localities Surveyed
Asan River above Kunja Grant, below its barrage
at Dhalipur, Herbertpur, villages Fatehpur,
Partitpur and Bairagiwala near Herbertpur,
Bhaironwala, Sahaspur, Bhurpur near Jhajra and
Chandrabani; Asan reservoir.
Diagnostic Characters
D.3/7, P. 2/12–13, V. 2/7, A.3/10–11, C.19 (10/9).
L.l. 40.
Body somewhat deep, mouth moderate, snout
and jaws with tubercles, barbels absent or rudimentary; dorsal fi n origin in advance of anal fi n.
Body silvery with 7–11 vertical bars; dorsal and
caudal fi ns edged with black.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male deep bodied, larger in
size and with rough texture due to the presence of
fi ne tubercles on the body, head and jaws; welldeveloped fi ns, outer few rays of pectoral and inner
few rays of pelvic fi ns thickened; yellowish ventrally.
Female streamlined and smooth with normal fi ns.
Maximum Size
15.0 cm.
Distribution
Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri,
Tehri and Uttarkashi districts; Kumaon Division:
Almora, Nainital and Pithoragarh districts.
Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park.
India
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal
Pradesh (Yamuna system), Meghalaya, Odisha,
Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Mekong basin,
Myanmar and Nepal (Narayani river system,
Chitwan).
14 Fish Fauna of Asan River
Distribution
Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri,
Haridwar, Tehri and Uttarkashi districts; Kumaon
Division: Almora, Nainital and Pithoragarh districts. Rajaji National Park.
India
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Punjab, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and
West Bengal (Darjeeling).
Elsewhere
Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Nepal and
Pakistan.
Habitat and Ecology
Inhabits mountain streams and rivers, preferring to live among rocks and near big submerged stones. It is a primarily bottom feeder
herbivore and feeds on algal slimes, aquatic
plants, detritus and insects encrusted on the
rocks. It breeds during April to May, before the
monsoon fl oods the rivers and streams; the fry
grows to such a size to bear the rigours of the
fl ood water.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, vulnerable.
Remarks
Of fi shery and game interest. The fl esh is much
relished.
Subfamily: Danioninae
Genus: Barilius Hamilton, 1822
12. Barilius barna (Hamilton, 1822)
Cyprinus ( Barilius ) barna Hamilton, 1822, Fish
Ganges : 268–269, 384 (type locality: Yamuna
and Brahmaputra rivers, extreme branches of
Ganges).
Barilius barna Husain, 2003 . Faun. Asan
Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 : 23–26
(Asan reservoir, Asan River above Kunja
Grant and below its barrage).
English Name
Barna Baril.
Local Names
Childi, Dhaur, Popta.
Localities Surveyed
Asan River above Kunja Grant, below its barrage
at Dhalipur, Herbertpur, villages Fatehpur,
Partitpur and Bairagiwala near Herbertpur,
Bhaironwala, Sahaspur, Bhurpur near Jhajra and
Chandrabani; Asan reservoir.
Diagnostic Characters
D.3/7, P. 2/12–13, V. 2/7, A.3/10–11, C.19 (10/9).
L.l. 40.
Body somewhat deep, mouth moderate, snout
and jaws with tubercles, barbels absent or rudimentary; dorsal fi n origin in advance of anal fi n.
Body silvery with 7–11 vertical bars; dorsal and
caudal fi ns edged with black.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male deep bodied, larger in
size and with rough texture due to the presence of
fi ne tubercles on the body, head and jaws; welldeveloped fi ns, outer few rays of pectoral and inner
few rays of pelvic fi ns thickened; yellowish ventrally.
Female streamlined and smooth with normal fi ns.
Maximum Size
15.0 cm.
Distribution
Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri,
Tehri and Uttarkashi districts; Kumaon Division:
Almora, Nainital and Pithoragarh districts.
Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park.
India
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal
Pradesh (Yamuna system), Meghalaya, Odisha,
Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Mekong basin,
Myanmar and Nepal (Narayani river system,
Chitwan).
14 Fish Fauna of Asan River