Journal
of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2020 | 12(17):
17361–17365
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5983.12.17.17361-17365
#5983 | Received 11 April 2020 | Final received 05
November 2020 | Finally accepted 17 November 2020
Occurrence of Corica
soborna Hamilton, 1822 (Clupeiformes:
Clupeidae) in the Godavari basin, India
Kante Krishna Prasad 1,
Mohammad Younus 2 & Chelmala Srinivasulu 3
1,3 Wildlife Biology and Taxonomy
Lab, Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania University,
Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India.
2 Centre for Biodiversity and
Conservation Studies, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India.
3 Systematics, Ecology &
Conservation Laboratory, Zoo Outreach Organization, No. 12 Thiruvannamalai
Nagar, Saravanampatti-Kalapatti Road, Saravanampatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India.
1 kpmanjeera@gmail.com, 2 mdyounusou@gmail.com,
3 chelmala.srinivasulu@osmania.ac.in (corresponding author)
Editor: Rajeev Raghavan, Kerala
University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi, India. Date
of publication: 26 December 2020 (online & print)
Citation: Prasad,
K.K., M. Younus & C. Srinivasulu (2020). Occurrence of
Corica soborna Hamilton,
1822 (Clupeiformes: Clupeidae)
in the Godavari basin, India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 12(17): 17361–17365. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5983.12.17.17361-17365
Copyright: © Prasad et al. 2020. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium
by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: The study
was funded by UGC-BSR scheme.
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the Head,
Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania University,
Hyderabad for providing facilities and encouragement. KKP acknowledges the
research funding from University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi. MY
acknowledges the internship support at the Centre for Biodiversity and
Conservation Studies, Osmania University, Hyderabad. We also thank Tokala Venkatesh and his family members for assistance in
the the field and hospitality.
Abstract: We record for the first time, Corica soborna
Hamilton, 1822 from Godavari River, based on a single specimen collected from
stream near Talai Village, Kumaram
Bheem Asifabad District of Telengana State. In
addition to a detailed description of its morphological characters, we also
provide details on distribution, habitat and threats to the species.
Keywords: Bejjur, Clupeoid,
freshwater fish, Pranahita River sub-basin, Telangana
State.
Approximately 420 species of clupeoids are known from around the world, distributed in
marine, estuarine and freshwater habitats (Fricke et al. 2020). In India, more than 80 species of clupeoid fishes have been recorded (Froese & Pauly 2019), of which around 34 species are distributed in
freshwaters and estuaries (Jayaram 2010; Froese & Pauly
2019). The Ganges River Sprat, Corica soborna Hamilton,
1822 is a small freshwater clupeid primarily known from the Ganges river basin,
with a record from the Bharathapuzha River basin in
Kerala (Bijukumar & Sushama
2000). Other records are from Indonesia,
Malaysia, and Singapore in southeastern Asia
(Hardenberg 1936; Herre & Myers 1937; Whitehead
1967, 1972). This species was described
from Aiyargunj in erstwhile Bengal Presidency
(Hamilton 1822; also see Britz 2019), at the
confluence of Punarbhaba River with Mahananda River, located
in current day Bangladesh (Bhattacharya 1974).
Previous records of the species are mostly from the Ganges and its
tributaries – Dehri-on-Sone on river Sone in Bihar (Motwani & David 1957), Goribaba
on river Ken in Uttar Pradesh (Srivastava et al. 1970), Dighwara
on the Ganges in Bihar (Karamchandani 1962), from
several other locations on the Ganges in Patna and Bhagalpur districts in
Bihar, and Sahibganj district in Jharkhand (Kamal
& Ahsan 1978). The only record of
this species in India, outside the Ganges River system is from the Ponnani Estuary, Kerala (Bijukumar
& Sushama 2000).
Whitehead (1972) inadvertently mentioned ‘Mahanadi’ river as type
locality instead of ‘Mahananda’ river from where the species was described by
Hamilton (1822). It has so far not been
recorded from the Godavari River basin (Talwar & Jhingran
1991; Krishnan & Mishra 2001; Jayaram 1981, 2010), or from anywhere in
Telangana State (Barman 1993; Chaudhry 2010; Jayaram 2010). Through this communication, we report for the
first time, the occurrence of Corica soborna in the Godavari River basin in Telangana State,
India.
Material and Methods
While conducting ichthyological
surveys in Telangana State, we collected a single specimen of a fish that
resembled C. soborna with a dragnet
operated by a local fisher at Talai Village, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad
District. The voucher specimen was photographed, labeled,
and fixed in 4% formalin (Jayaram 2010), and deposited in the Natural History
Museum, Department of Zoology, University College of Science, Osmania
University, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India (NHMOU). Morphometric measurements were taken using
Mitutoyo digital calipers following Jayaram (2010)
and Armbruster (2012), and the fish was subsequently identified as C. soborna following Whitehead (1972, 1985), Talwar & Jhingran (1991), and Jayaram (1981, 2010).
Corica soborna Hamilton, 1822
(Image 1)
Materials examined: NHM.OU.F-993, 05.i.2019, a
stream near Talai Village, Pranahita
sub-basin of Godavari, Kumarambheem Asifabad District, Telangana, India, 19.2960N
& 79.9520E, 110m, coll. Kante Krishna
Prasad & Md. Younus.
Distinguishing characters: Corica soborna is a small fish, attaining about
50mm in standard length. The following
characters distinguish the species from its congeners: body moderately
elongate; abdomen keeled; 10 pre-pelvic and eight post-pelvic scutes; mouth terminal; second supra-maxilla equal to, or as
long as maxilla blade; teeth absent or minute; gill rakers
of first gill 19–21 (Whitehead 1972; Talwar & Jhingran
1991); dorsal fin inserted above pelvic origin with two simple (Talwar & Jhingran 1991) and 13–14 branched rays (Hamilton 1822;
Talwar & Jhingran 1991); pectoral with 12–13 rays
(Hamilton 1822; Talwar & Jhingran 1991); pelvic
fin insertion in advance of dorsal fin origin with one simple and seven
branched rays (Talwar & Jhingran 1991); anal fin
with two simple and 12–13 branched rays and two rays in a distinct finlet (Talwar & Jhingran
1991); caudal fin deeply forked with 18 rays and faint dark edges (Hamilton
1822); scales small; lateral line absent; lateral series scales 40 to 42
(Jayram 2010).
The present specimen matches the
general description provided by Hamilton (1822), Talwar & Jhingran (1991), and Jayram (2010). Morphometric measurements and meristic counts
are presented in Table 1. Minor
variations with respect to simple and branched rays could likely be due to the
manner in which counts were taken by previous researchers with those made in
the present study. In the present
specimen, dorsal fin is inserted above pelvic origin, with three simple and 13
branched rays; pectoral fin with one simple and 13 branched rays; pelvic fin
with one simple and seven branched rays; anal fin with three simple and 11
branched rays and two branched rays in the finlet;
caudal fin deeply forked with 18 principal rays and 12 procurrent
rays; lateral series scales 41; and 22 gill rakers on
lower arch of first gill.
Habitat: One individual of Corica soborna was
collected in an eighth-order stream (Strahler 1957) of six-meter depth, with
rapid water flow (1.2 m/s) and bedrock, submerged boulders, sand, silt and
detritus swamp as substrates. Riparian
vegetation on the left bank of the stream was occupied with shrubs and
scattered trees of Tectona grandis, Cassia fistula, Albizia
amara, and Acacia leucophloea,
and right bank with cultivated lands. Co-occurring fish fauna included Amblypharyngodon mola,
Barilius barila,
Chanda nama, Channa
marulius, C. striata,
Glossogobius giuris,
Labeo calbasu,
Macrognathus pancalus,
Mastacembelus armatus,
Mystus bleekeri,
M. vittatus, Puntius sophore, Rasbora daniconius, Sperata
seenghala, and Systomus
sarana.
Discussion
The present record of Corica soborna in
the Godavari River basin extends its distribution to the middle of peninsular
India. This species is currently known
from few locations in the Ganga basin from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal in
India, and in Bangladesh (Mahananda, Ken, and Sone river drainages), as well as
in the Bharathapuzha River (in Ponnani
Estuary) in Kerala. The presence of C.
soborna in the Godavari River basin suggest
that this species may be more widespread in peninsular India than previously
thought. In addition to the inland
waters of India and Bangladesh (Rahman 1989, 2005; Payne et al. 2004; Wahab
2007; Alam et al. 2013; Arefin
et al. 2018), C. soborna also occurs in the
estuaries of Southeast Asian countries (Fig. 1) including Indonesia (Hardenberg
1936; Whitehead 1967, 1972), Malaysia (Whitehead 1967, 1972), and Singapore (Herre & Myers 1937; Whitehead 1967). This species has also specifically been
recorded from Mekong and Bangpakong rivers in
Thailand (Taki 1978; Suvatti 1981); however, Chaudhry
(2010) doubted the validity of these records.
The discontinuous distribution of this species may suggest
data-deficiency in surveys and non-availability of verified checklists from
other parts of southern and Southeast Asian countries, indicating ‘Wallacean
shortfall’.
Alteration, fragmentation, and
destruction of critical habitats as a result of the construction of irrigation
and hydropower projects in the middle and upper reaches of the Godavari, as
well as indiscriminate fishing could be detrimental to the survival of the
newly detected population of C. soborna
in Telangana State. We propose further
research on understanding the micro-level distribution, population status and
dynamics, and threats (both direct and indirect) of this species in Telangana
State.
Table 1. Morphometric characters
and meristic counts of Corica soborna from Godavari River basin, Telangana State,
India.
|
Morphometric Characters |
Specimen voucher NHM.OU.F-993 |
|
|
Total length (mm) |
50.5 |
|
|
Standard length (mm) |
41.6 |
|
|
Head length (mm) |
9.0 |
|
|
% of Standard length |
||
|
Body depth |
20.4 |
|
|
Head length |
21.6 |
|
|
Head depth |
16.9 |
|
|
Head width |
9.2 |
|
|
Eye diameter |
7.9 |
|
|
Snout length |
6.4 |
|
|
Inter orbital width |
4.8 |
|
|
Dorsal fin base length or
dorsal fin width |
14.6 |
|
|
Pre-dorsal distance |
50.8 |
|
|
Dorsal fin length |
19.1 |
|
|
Dorsal fin origin to hypural
distance |
46.2 |
|
|
Pectoral fin length |
17.3 |
|
|
Pelvic fin length |
13.7 |
|
|
Caudal peduncle length |
11.0 |
|
|
Caudal peduncle depth |
9.2 |
|
|
Pre-pelvic distance |
49.0 |
|
|
Pre-anal distance |
70.7 |
|
|
Anal fin base length |
17.7 |
|
|
Anal fin length |
12.1 |
|
|
% of Head length |
||
|
Head depth |
78.3 |
|
|
Head width |
42.5 |
|
|
Eye diameter |
36.6 |
|
|
Snout length |
29.8 |
|
|
Inter orbital width |
22.2 |
|
|
Meristic counts |
||
|
Scales in Lateral Series |
41 |
|
|
Transverse scale rows |
9 |
|
|
Pre pelvic scutes |
10 |
|
|
Post pelvic scutes |
8 |
|
|
Pre-dorsal scales |
17 |
|
|
Pre-pelvic scales |
14 |
|
|
Pre-anal scales |
23 |
|
|
Dorsal fin rays |
iii+13 |
|
|
Pectoral fin rays |
i+13 |
|
|
Pelvic fin rays |
i+7 |
|
|
Anal fin rays + (finlet) |
iii+11+(2) |
|
|
Principal caudal fin rays |
18 |
|
|
Procurrent caudal fin rays |
12 |
|
Table 2. Global distribution of Corica soborna. Location names in brackets are
historic names.
|
ID |
Location |
River Basin/ Estuary |
Country |
Source |
|
1 |
Aiyargunj, Mahananda River,
Bangladesh (Aiargunj, Mahananda River, India)* |
Ganga |
Bangladesh |
Hamilton 1822; Britz 2019 |
|
2 |
Dehri-on-Sone, Sone
River, Bihar |
Ganga |
India |
Motwani & David 1957 |
|
3 |
Dighwara, Ganga River,
Bihar |
Ganga |
India |
Karamchandani 1962 |
|
4 |
Goribaba, Ken River, Banda,
Uttar Pradesh |
Ganga |
India |
Srivastava et al. 1970 |
|
5 |
Rajmahal, Ganga River,
Jharkhand |
Ganga |
India |
Kamal & Ahsan 1978** |
|
6 |
Ponnani Estuary, Kerala |
Bharathapuzha |
India |
Bijukumar & Sushama 2000 |
|
7 |
Talai, Kumarambheem Asifabad District,
Telangana State |
Godavari |
India |
Present Study |
|
8 |
Halda River, Chittagong,
Bangladesh |
Karnaphully |
Bangladesh |
Alam et al. 2013 |
|
9 |
Narsunda River, Kishoreganj District, Bangladesh |
Surma-Meghna |
Bangladesh |
Arefin et al. 2018 |
|
10 |
Padma River, Bangladesh |
Ganga |
Bangladesh |
Payne et al. 2004 |
|
11 |
Kapuas River, West Kalimantan
(S.W. Borneo) |
Kapuas |
Indonesia |
Whitehead 1967, 1972 |
|
12 |
Musi River, South
Sumatra, Indonesia (S.E. Sumatra) |
Musi |
Indonesia |
Whitehead 1967 |
|
13 |
Padang Tikar
Bay, Indonesia |
Estuary |
Indonesia |
Hardenberg 1936; Whitehead 1967 |
|
14 |
Pamangkat, Indonesia (Pemangkat, S.W. Borneo) |
Estuary |
Indonesia |
Whitehead 1967, 1972 |
|
15 |
Perak River, Malaysia (Malaya) |
Perak |
Malaysia |
Whitehead 1967, 1972 |
|
16 |
Singapore |
Estuary |
Singapore |
Herre & Myers 1937;
Whitehead 1967 |
*Type locality; **Kamal &
Ahsan (1978) report C. soborna being collected
from various locations of Ganga River in Patna and Bhagalpur districts in
Bihar, and Sahibganj District in Jharkhand, India.
For
figure & image - - click here
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