INDIANANGLER

Further to Owen's remarks on migratory pattern of the mahaseer - I am requesting interested and informed IA members to share their knowledge on the subject.

My thoughts on the subject are based on camp hearsay, and the argument or thesis that normally wins through is either from the camp champ - who's caught the most or largest mahaseer - and is often supported by quotes or reference to a Victorian era book; rod in india and the like..

I believe (pls feel free to correct) that the Victorian anglers filled in the gaps in their knowhow about the Mahaseer's biology with what they knew about the Salmon. My surmise is that the Mahaseer migration is rangebound between 1200 ft to 2500 ft above msl - I dont know the figures for the Cauvery or the North East or the other 10 countries where the Mahaseer lives. The rangebound-ness also leads me to conclude that perhaps that's the reason why the introduction of the brown trout by the Brits (which I understand is also from the Salmon family) did not kill/exterminate the Mahaseer breeding as the Trout ranges at 4500 ft above msl in the Himachal, Garwhal hills.

Has anybody got pics of Mahaseer eggs and their bed?

The reason I'm raising this as a new topic is because with all the new hydro electric power projects in the North and North East, I would like to understand what is the threat to the Mahaseer.

Regards

Viraj

Hi Viraj,

I have a Nepalese book, "Ecology Of the Mahseer in the Himalyan Waters of Nepal" by Tej Kumar Shrestha that may be of some interest to you.

Yes Bobby, that would be immensely helpful and a good starting point..U r in HK so how do I get my hands on it - maybe I can purchase the book in Delhi, let me look..

Hi Bobby is that book published by Natraj Publishers Dehradun ?
I too would like a copy of it.

Guys, a friend of mine sent me this book from the UK, but it is definately printed in India but it does not say where published or printed.

While looking on the net I came across this book that may interest you chaps, click on the link below:

https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no41438.htm

If I get any more information on the book I have I will let you all know.

The good news is that while searching for the book Bobby recommended, have come across FAO research papers on the Mahaseer, mostly work done in Nepal, which is of great interest - as the Golden is common to North India/Terai and Nepal. see http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y3994e/y3994e0l.htm
One can also surf their site to see more research work..time is what we need..

did surf some more and the names that keep on cropping up on research papers on Mahaseer/Terai/Nepal/Breeding are Kulkarni, Shreshta (who Bobby referred to, Ogale, Patthani...

There are 7 Mahaseer, validated breeds in India; one is called Tor Kulkarni! Suppose after the Mr Kulkarni who seems to be the person who spearheaded the research at Lonavla, Tata Power Resorvoirs

The research papers are available on FAO and there is a lot of interesting stuff that anglers may not know or learn from camp talk..

Mahaseer eggs are 'demersal'! Vow - checked the dict to figure that that means they are laid in the deepest part of the water body.

They also take longer to hatch than some other Indian carp and for 6 days after hatching the hatchlings stick their head in the gravel and quiver their tails, almost begging other predators to gobble them!

After they become decent size fingerlings, they start resembling rapala plugs [made this last one up ]

The point I attempt to make to friends on the cauvery is that one could, with a bit of dedication, haev a mahaseer hatchery on the cauvery (next to it actually) which could stock the river - the main issue that needs to be thought through is the feeding of the fish - I hypothesize (which means I can change my mind later) is that the hatchlings/fishlings should be released asap into a safe part or cordoned part of the cauvery so that they can fend for themselves and become wild - fishing man fed fish is too contrived - maybe when they are a 3-5 inches long they can be released into the cauvery main. I guess most of them will get gobbled up the monsters that are there, I hear; best of all you might convert some to pluggin, which is more fun than ragi, I daresay [havent tried ragi..

Anglers may owe a lot to the mahaseer research at Lonavala - maybe some of us should go there and look..

Thanks for that bit of info, Viraj. It might help with a new project I have in mind.

Bops