Hypselobarbus pulchellus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	CYPRINIFORMES	CYPRINIDAE

Scientific Name:	Hypselobarbus pulchellus
Species Authority:	(Day, 1870)
Synonym/s:	Barbus pulchellus Day, 1870
Taxonomic Notes:	Hypselobarbus pulchellus was originally described as Barbus (Barbodes) pulchellus by Day (1870) from inland streams (probably in Mangalore), India.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2011

Assessor/s:

Rema Devi, K.R. & Ali, A.

Reviewer/s:

Dahanukar, N., Raghavan, R. & Molur, S.

Contributor/s:

Molur, S. & Bogutskaya, N.

Justification:
Hypselobarbus pulchellus is known only from the type locality and subsequent surveys in the type locality and adjoining areas have not indicated the presence of this species. The area is subjected to several threats including altered habitat from deforestation and the spread of agriculture, and overfishing. Although there is confusion regarding the identification of the species with respect to other Hypselobarbus species, the declining quality of habitat in the area from where this species was first collected, and the lack of collections since then suggests that he species may already be extinct. It is therefore categorized as Critically Endangered (possibly extinct).

History:

2009	–	Data Deficient
2007	–	Data Deficient (IUCN 2009.2)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Hypselobarbus pulchellus is known only from its type locality in South Canara, in Karnataka, India. The species may have a wider distribution, or be possibly extinct, as a survey in its type locality failed to find the species. Menon (2004) believes that H. pulchellus probably has a very restricted distribution today, if indeed it is still extant.
Countries:	Possibly extinct: India (Karnataka)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Since this species was described in 1870 from South Canara, Karnataka, no specimen of this species has been found. Recent searches in the lower reaches of Kumaradhara, a tributary of Netravati in South Canara, failed to find H. pulchellus (Menon, 2004). Furthermore, it is very difficult to tell this species apart from H. dobsoni and H. jerdoni.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	H. pulchellus is a benthopelagic species which inhabits the deeper part of large streams and rivers along the base of Ghats.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Deforestation and the spread of agricultural practices during the last century have changed the physical habitat of the rivers of the western face of the Western Ghats and has likely had an adverse affect on H. pulchellus. Overfishing is also a threat to the species.

Major Threat(s):

Deforestation and the spread of agricultural practices during the last century have changed the physical habitat of the rivers of the western face of the Western Ghats and has likely had an adverse affect on H. pulchellus. Overfishing is also a threat to the species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	No protective measures have been taken but it has been recommended that the deep pools in the course of the river where the brooders generally rest during summer should be identified and some of them declared as fish sanctuaries for the protection of the species (Menon 2004).

Conservation Actions:

No protective measures have been taken but it has been recommended that the deep pools in the course of the river where the brooders generally rest during summer should be identified and some of them declared as fish sanctuaries for the protection of the species (Menon 2004).

Citation:	Rema Devi, K.R. & Ali, A. 2011. Hypselobarbus pulchellus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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