Fishes of Periyar Tiger Reserve
Fish are aquatic, gill-bearing vertebrates that typically lack limbs with digits. They form a diverse group of organisms, playing vital roles in freshwater ecosystems. Though fish are considered a paraphyletic group (not including all descendants of a common ancestor), they are crucial to the ecological balance of aquatic habitats.
🐟 Aquatic Life in Periyar Lake
Periyar Lake, nestled within the lush forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, supports a wide variety of freshwater fish species. Many of these are endemic to the Periyar landscape and the Western Ghats, making the reserve an important site for freshwater biodiversity.
🌿 Fishes & Local Communities
Several tribal communities living in and around the Reserve depend on certain fish species for their subsistence and livelihood. To balance conservation and livelihood needs, regulated fishing is permitted in specific areas, particularly within the buffer zones of the Reserve.
🎣 Conservation & Sustainable Use
Strict guidelines ensure sustainable fishing practices that do not disturb the ecological integrity of the Reserve or affect the survival of rare and endemic fish species.
📋 Fish Diversity at Periyar
Periyar’s freshwater systems are known to host species such as:
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Periyar Barb (Puntius periyarensis) – Endemic
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Periyar Latia (Latia periyarensis) – Endemic
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Malabar Mahseer
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Tor species
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Catfish species
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Eels and Loaches
🧭 A detailed checklist of fish species can be provided upon request or accessed through Periyar’s biodiversity records.
