Back مهاشر الهمالايا Arabic مهاشر الهمالايا ARZ Tor putitora Bulgarian সোনালী মহাশোল Bengali/Bangla Tor putitora Catalan Tor putitora CEB Mahsír obří Czech Tor putitora German Tor putitora Spanish Tor putitora Basque
| Tor putitora | |
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_Babai_River.jpg)
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| Babai River, Nepal | |
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| Juvenile, about 35 cm (14 in) long | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Tor |
| Species: | T. putitora
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| Binomial name | |
| Tor putitora (F. Hamilton, 1822)
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| Synonyms | |
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Tor putitora, the Putitor mahseer, Himalayan mahseer, or golden mahseer, is an endangered species of cyprinid fish that is found in rapid streams, riverine pools, and lakes in the Himalayan region. Its native range is within the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.[1] It was reported to be found in the Salween river, the natural border between Thailand and Myanmar as well, but the number is very rare, only three times in 28 years.[2]
This omnivorous species is generally found near the surface in water that ranges from 13–30 °C (55–86 °F).[3]
It is a popular gamefish, once believed to be the largest species of mahseer, and can reach up to 2.75 m (9.0 ft) in length and 54 kg (119 lb) in weight, though most caught today are far smaller.[4]
Its caudal, pelvic, and anal fins show tint of reddish-golden colour. While the body above its lateral line is generally golden in colour at adulthood, the gold colour might be absent in young specimens.
Hamilton's original description says "The head is blunt, oval, small, and smooth". He goes on to say "The mouth is small" and "the lateral line is scarcely distinguishable".[5] However, the largest head of any mahseer species, with a large mouth and prominent lateral line stripe, are features considered to be important in the correct identification of this species.
The Himalayan Golden Mahaseer is the National fish of Pakistan.[6][n 1] It is also the state fish of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhyapradesh and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.[7]
Nobel Prize Winner for Literature - Rudyard Kipling, wrote: "There he met the mahseer of the Poonch, beside whom the tarpon is a herring, and he who catches him can say he is a fisherman.” (Rudyard Kipling - "The Day's Work" 1898 - "The Brushwood Boy" 1899).
- ^ a b Jha, B.R.; Rayamajhi, A.; Dahanukar, N.; Harrison, A. & Pinder, A. (2018). "Tor putitora". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T126319882A126322226.en.
- ^ Kittipong Jaruthanin and Pong Bang Tan, Monsters of the River 2013, Aquarium Biz, Vol. 4 Issue 39 (September 2013) (in Thai)
- ^ IRG Systems South Asia Pvt. Ltd. (December 2014) Cumulative Impact and Carrying Capacity Study of Subansiri Sub Basin including Downstream Impacts. Final Report, volume 1. Central Water Commission, India.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2012). "Tor putitora" in FishBase. January 2012 version.
- ^ Hamilton, Francis (28 November 1822). "An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches". Printed for A. Constable and company. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- ^ "Pakistan". Archived from the original on 2016-11-28.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ "State Fishes of India" (PDF). National Fisheries Development Board, Government of India. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
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