Life History traits of an Endangered barb

Knowledge on diversity distribution ecology biology and conservation and utilization prospects of diverse species is most essential for sustainable management of endemic biodiversity. The Western Ghats region of India is one of the freshwater fish biodiversity Hot spots in the world. Over the last few decades wild population of Red-line torpedo barb Sahyadria denisonii (Day1865) has been declined due to various reasons and species was categorized as Endangered. The popularity of this species in the international trade has resulted in organized exploitation with probable negative impacts on its wild stock. Despite being the most threatened native fish species this species has not been well documented in literature and the absence of a reliable scientific database concerning its population status reproductive biology and captive breeding and larval rearing technology has significantly affected conservation efforts. This study is an attempt made to document life history traits of Red-line torpedo barb for its conservation management.