The mahseer fishes (Tor spp.) represent an iconic genus of large-bodied species of the Cyprinidae family. Across the 16 recognised species in the genus, individual fish can attain weights over 50 kg, resulting in some species being considered as premier sport fishes. Tor species also generally have high religious and cultural significance throughout South and Southeast Asia. Despite their economic and cultural importance, the status of Tor fishes has been increasingly imperilled through their riverine habitats being impacted by anthropogenic activities, such as hydropower dam construction and exploitation. Moreover, conservation efforts have been constrained by knowledge on the genus being heavily skewed

Abstract:Pethia setnai is an endemic and threatened freshwater fish of the Western Ghats of India. It has a restricted distribution in the west flowing rivers in the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. We clarify the phylogenetic position of Pethia setnai, provide osteological details of topotypic material, and morphometric data of specimens from Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. We also provide details on micro-level distribution, habitat and threats to the species in its native range.

Maharaja Barbs (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), endemic to the high-altitude streams of the northern Western Ghats are currently represented by a single species, Puntius sahyadriensis. Integrative taxonomic analysis of these fishes reveals them to form a distinct clade within the Cyprinidae, for which we propose the name Waikhomia gen. nov. Waikhomia differs from Puntius and other closely related genera by a combination of characters including: barbels absent; last unbranched dorsal-fin ray smooth, with highly segmented apex; total vertebrae 30 (17 abdominal and 13 caudal); post-epiphysial fontanelle absent, frontals elongated, parietals narrow; infraorbital 2–4 large, deep and wide, overlapping cheek and preopercle; opercle not overlapping the interopercle laterally; free uroneural 2 absent; lateral line complete, with 23–25 perforated scales; pelvic fins jet black with tip of fins white; and body coloration consisting of multiple (6–8) spots and blotches on side of body. We also describe a new species of Waikhomia from the west-flowing Kali river system in the northern part of the Western Ghats, India. The new species, Waikhomia hira is distinguished from W. sahyadriensis by a combination of characters including a distinct body coloration, consisting of 7–8 small, rhomboidal spots arranged across the lateral-line scale row; 23­–25 perforated lateral line scales; 10 pre-dorsal scales and 2–3 sparsely spaced gill rakers on epibranchial 1. Further, W. hira differs from its sister taxon, W. sahyadriensis, by a raw genetic distance ranging from 4.3–4.9% in partial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, and 7.0–8.2% in partial cytochrome b genes.

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