Mahseer, the history of the king of the river

¹ Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
² Graduate School of Mathematics and Applied Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
³ Integrated Coastal Management Postgraduate Program, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: muchlisinza@unsyiah.ac.id

Abstract

Mahseers (Cyprinidae) is one of the most important freshwater fish in Southeast Asia. This fish is being a consumption fish, ornamental and sport fishing. Mahseers can grow up to more than 30 kg. Therefore, this species is called The King of The River. This paper reviewed some aspects of this interesting fish. A total of 54 papers have been reviewed where some of the papers come from our Ichthyos Research Group, Universitas Syiah Kuala. There are 50 species of mahseer throughout the world, where 20 species of which are found in Asia. Indonesia has four species of mahseer, namely; Tor tambra, T. tambroides, T. duorenensis, and T. soro, of which two species, T. tambra and T. tambroides are found in Aceh province. Between the two species, T. tambra has a wide distribution. The original habitat of the mahseer fish waters with speed currents, clear water, high dissolved oxygen, and low water temperatures. In the wild, mahseers migrate upstream for spawning during periods of high flooding in the early rainy season. The spawning occurs one or two months at the place that is inundated during floods. Mahseer is omnivorous, they fed on mollusks, aquatic plants, small fish, insects to fruits that grow on the banks of rivers. Mahseer fish in rearing ponds are often attacked by Lernea sp., Argulus sp., Trichodina sp., and Bothriocephalus acheilognathi worms