Addressing the Wallacean Shortfall: An Updated Checklist of Icthyofauna of Chembarampakkam Tank

Abstract

Fish fauna of Chennai has been systematically surveyed for the past 100 years. Subsequent surveys have not been as comprehensive as the first study. As a result premature conclusions about species extinctions and species displacement by introduced species have emerged in publications from time to time. In this paper, I present a comprehensive survey of Chembarampakkam tank, one of the freshwater tanks in Chennai which has been surveyed for the past 100 years. The results highlight the significance of Wallacean shortfall.