Fish Fauna of Asan River and Its Tributaries, Western Doon Valley, Dehradun (Uttarakhand), with Conservation Status of Species and Threats - Aquatic Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation - page 243

Diagnostic Characters
D. 3/7. P. 1/12-13, V. 1/7-8, A. 3/7, C. 19. L.l.
46-53.
Body subcylindrical; mouth inferior, jaws
short; pharyngeal teeth in two rows, barbels
absent; dorsal fi n origin above insertion of the
pelvic fi ns; scales deciduous, lateral line almost
straight. Body silvery.

Aspidoparia morar Husain, 2003 . Faun. Asan
Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 : 23-26
(Asan River above Kunja Grant and below its
barrage).

English Name
Morari.

Local Names
Chal, Chilwa.

Maximum Length
15.0 cm.

Localities Surveyed
Asan River above Kunja Grant and below its
barrage.

Distribution

Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Dehradun and Hardwar dis-
tricts; Kumaon Division: Nainital district. Rajaji
National Park.

Diagnostic Characters
D. 2/7, P. 1/12-13, V. 1/7-8, A. 3/9, C. 19 (10/9).
L.l. 36-38.
Body subcylindrical; mouth inferior, jaws
short, pharyngeal teeth in three rows, barbels
absent; scales deciduous, lateral line slightly
curved. Body yellowish silvery with a burnished
lateral band.

India
Assam and Uttar Pradesh.

Elsewhere
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal.

Maximum Size
17.5 cm.

Habitat and Ecology
Inhabits streams and ponds in plains and moun-
tainous regions. It is rare in the catches. Typically
found at an altitude of 0-1,769 m.

Distribution

Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Dehradun district; Kumaon
Division: Nainital district.

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, least concern.

Threats
Harvested for its ornamental value and indiscrim-
inately for its food value by use of destructive
fi shing.

India
Throughout northern India.

Elsewhere
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. Vietnam (intro-
duced). The taxonomic identity of the records in
Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan and Thailand needs to
be confi rmed.

Remarks
This is the new record from Asan River.
Of no fi shery interest. Considered a tasty food
fi sh, though rare in the catches.
Genus: Cabdio Hamilton, 1822

Habitat and Ecology
Found in streams, rivers and ponds in plains
and mountainous regions. This is an ovipar-
ous species; they scatter their eggs after
spawning.

24. Cabdio morar (Hamilton, 1822)
Cyprinus ( Chela ) morar Hamilton, 1822. Fish.
Ganges : 264, 384. Pl. 31, fi g. 75 (type local-
ity: rivers Yamuna and Tista).