''Tor ater'', the dark mahseer, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

mahseer Mahseer is the common name used for the genera '' Tor'', '' Neolissochilus'', '' Naziritor'' and '' Parator'' in the family Cyprinidae (carps). The name is, however, more often restricted to members of the genus ''Tor''.Sen TK, Jayaram KC, 1982 ...

, a fish, native to Central Laos.

Taxonomy

Tor ater is slightly different from other

, although possessing many typical

Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest v ...

features. This mahseer has relatively small scales, with 30 or 31 along the lateral line, but still has a large head comparative to body depth. Compared to another small-scaled mahseer of the Mekong basin, Tor polylepis, Tor ater differs by having slightly larger scales, fewer gill rakers and a concave-shaped snout. .

Distribution

These fish are very little known, even among local fishermen in the Nam Theun watershed where they are found. The type locality of Tor ater is Ban Talang, in the Nam Theun watershed, part of the Mekong basin, in central Laos.

Ecology

It may be expected that Tor ater has similarities with all other

species, being

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

, with a diet that likely includes aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, fruit and vegetation, small amphibians and other fish. It would seem probable that adult fish access headwaters for spawning during high water conditions.

Conservation

This species is currently assigned as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Given that the species is identified from the capture of only three specimens, and that little work has been done beyond the initial identification, the major constraining factor in any conservation strategy is the complete lack of understanding of the distribution and ecology of the species and how or if it interacts with other local mahseer species within the same habitat. With other mahseer species, the main threats are: loss of habitat due to urbanisation, encroachment on flood plains, dam building, sand extraction and pollution. Destructive fishing methods like dynamite, poisoning and electricity are in common use throughout Southeast Asia, and may be expected to be a major threat to the sustainability of populations.

References

External links

* https://www.mahseertrust.org/ {{Taxonbar, from=Q5407655 Cyprinidae Taxa named by Tyson R. Roberts Fish described in 1999