Damsel in distress- The tale of Miss Kerala, Puntius denisonii (Day), an endemic and endangered cyprinid of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot (South India)

Abstract

1. Denison's Barb, Puntius denisonii (Day) is an endemic and endangered cyprinid fish of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in peninsular India, which is the focus of an organized yet undocumented fishery targeting juveniles for the international aquarium trade. 2. Research on P. denisonii has been very limited and there has been no systematic effort to assess and monitor their abundance, distribution and populations. 3. Anecdotal and circumstantial evidence indicates a highly restricted distribution, low abundance, declining populations, low catch per unit effort and increasing market prices, providing evidence of an impending conservation crisis and the need for urgent management of wild stocks. 4. This paper reviews current knowledge, provides results from the authors' field study and suggests priorities for conservation and management actions for P. denisonii in the streams of Kerala. © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.