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Population dynamics of Hypselobarbus thomassi (Day 1874), an endemic cyprinid fish from a tropical reservoir of Southern Western Ghats, India
Author(s) -
Renjithkumar Chelapurath Radhakrishnan,
Roshni Kuttanelloor,
Harikrishnan Mahadevan,
Madhusoodana Kurup Balakrishna
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
lakes and reservoirs: research and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.296
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1440-1770
pISSN - 1320-5331
DOI - 10.1111/lre.12343
Subject(s) - overexploitation , fishing , threatened species , geography , population , fishery , ecoregion , overfishing , biology , ecology , demography , habitat , sociology
The Western Ghats of peninsular India is a highly sensitive and threatened ecoregion of exceptional freshwater ichthyodiversity. The present study investigated the growth, mortality and stock characteristics of Hypselobarbus thomassi , an endemic cyprinid fish from the Parappar Reservoir of Western Ghats, on the basis of the length‐frequency data collected during the period from 2009 to 2011. The growth parameters of this species were estimated using the FiSAT program, and the asymptotic length ( L ∞ ) and growth constant ( K ) being 476.79 mm and 0.39 year −1 , respectively. The age at zero length ( t 0 ) was calculated as −0.0485 year −1 . The longevity ( t max ) and growth performance index (ϕ) were reported as 7.69 years and 2.95. The estimated total mortality ( Z ), natural mortality ( M ) and fishing mortality ( F ) were 1.65, 0.38 and 1.27 year −1 , respectively. The relative yield per recruit ( Y / R ) analysis revealed the exploitation rate ( E ) at different levels as E 0.1 = 0.36, E 0.5 = 0.28 and E max = 0.42. The current exploration level (0.77) is higher than the optimum exploitation rate ( E max = 0.42), indicating an overexploitation of the H. thomassi population. Accordingly, needed management measures should include restrictions on fishing gear mesh sizes, reduced fishing effort and declaration of closed seasons and sanctuaries to protect this threatened species.