Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ecology and Distribution of Fresh-Water Fishes, Amphibia and Reptiles

  • Chapter
Ecology and Biogeography in India

Part of the book series: Monographiae Biologicae ((MOBI,volume 23))

Abstract

This discussion on the ecology and distribution of fishes, amphibians and reptiles is based mainly on the researches of the author during the past two decades. For many years he was closely associated with HORA and Prof. MANI in their biogeographical studies. Considerable work was done on the fresh-water fishes in collaboration with HORA, who more than any one else contributed in recent years to focuss attention on some of the outstanding problems of the biogeography of India. In addition to specializing on the taxonomy of the Bagrid fishes of Asia and Africa, the author has also had numerous opportunities of personally collecting fishes from nearly all over India and of making observations on their ecology, habits and distributional peculiarities; some attention was also paid to the amphibians and reptiles. The extensive collections of the Zoological Survey of India were also available to him for study and reference. Numerous discussions on some of the intriguing problems of the fresh-water fishes were also held with Prof. MANI in recent years. The results of the pioneer investigations of MEDLIGOTT and BLANFORD (1879), DAY (1876–78, 1889), BLANFORD (1901), SMITH (1931, 1935, 1943) and HORA (1933–55, HORA & NAÏR, 1941) have also been extensively relied upon in this contribution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 349.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 449.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 449.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • ANNANDALE, N. 1913. The Tortoises of Ghota Nagpur. Rec. Indian Mus., 9: 63–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • AUDEN, J. B. 1949. A geological discussion on the Satpura Hypothesis and Garo-Rajmahal gap. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 315–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • BEAUFORT, L. F. DE, 1951. Zoogeography of the land and Inland waters. London: Sidgwick and Jackson Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • BELLAIRS, A. D. & G. UNDERWOOD, 1951. The origin of Snakes. Biol. Rev., 26: 193–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BLANFORD, W. T. 1876. On some Lizards from Sind with descriptions of new species of Ptyodactylus, Stenodactylus and Trapelus. F. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 14 (2): 18–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • BLANFORD, W. T. 1901. The distribution of Vertebrate animals in India, Ceylon and Burma. Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc., (B) 194: 335–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BUOLENGER, G. A. 1911. Catalogue of the freshwater fishes of Africa in the British Museum (Natural History) London. 2: 1–529.

    Google Scholar 

  • CAMP, C. L. 1923. Classification of Lizards. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 48: 289–481.

    Google Scholar 

  • CHU, Y. T. 1935. Comparative studies on the scales and on pharyngeals and their teeth in chinese Cyprinids with particular reference to taxonomy and evolution. Biol. Bull. St. John’s Univ. 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • DARLINGTON, P. J. 1957. Zoogeography: the geographical distribution of animals New York, (N.Y.): John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • DARLINGTON, P. J. 1964. Drifting continents and late Paleozoic geography. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci., 52: 1084–1091.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DAVID, A. 1962. Brief taxonomic account of the gangetic Pangasius panagasius (Hamilton) with a description of a new subspecies from the Godavary. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., 56: 136–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • DAY, F. 1889. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Fishes, I & I I, London: Taylor and Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • DERANIYAGALA, P. E. P. 1943. The age and derivation of Ceylon’s Siwalik fauna. Proc. 29th Indian Sci. Congr.

    Google Scholar 

  • DILGER, W. C. 1952. The Brij Hypothesis, an explanation for the tropical faunal similarities between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas. Assam, Burma and Malaya. Evolution, 6: 125–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DITMARS, R. L. 1927. Reptiles of the World. New York: The Macmillan Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • DU TOIT, A. L. 1937. Our wandering continents, an hypothesis of continental drifting. Edinburgh and London: Oliver & Boyd.

    Google Scholar 

  • EGERTON, P. 1845. On the remains of fishes found by Mr. Kaye and Mr. Counliffe, in the Pondicherry beds. Quart. F. geol. Soc., 1: 164–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GANSSER, A. 1964. Geology of the Himalaya. New York (N.Y.) John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • GREENWOOD, P. H., D. E. ROSE, S. H. WEITZMAN & G. S. MYERS, 1966. Phyletic studies of Teleostean fishes with a provisional classification of living forms. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 131: 339–456.

    Google Scholar 

  • GREGORY, J. W. 1925. The evolution of the river system of South Eastern Asia. Scottish Geog. Mag., 41: 129–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GULATEE, B. L. 1952. The Aravalli Range and its extensions. Technical Paper 6, Survey of India. Dehra Dun.

    Google Scholar 

  • HAIG, J. 1950. Studies on the classification of the catfishes of the Oriental and Palae- arctic family Siluridae. Rec. Indian Mus., 48: 59–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1933. Siluroid fishes of India, Burma & Ceylon. 1. Loach-like fishes of the genus Amblyceps Blyth. Rec. Indian Mus., 35: 607–621.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1936. Siluroid fishes of India, Burma & Ceylon. 2. Fishes of the genus Akysis Bleeker. III. Fishes of the genus Olyra McClelland. IV. On the use of the generic name Wallago Bleeker. V. Fishes of the genus Heteropneustes Muller. Rec. Indian Mus., 38: 199–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1936. Siluroid fishes of India, Burma & Ceylon. VI. Fishes of the genus Clarias Gronovius. VII. Fishes of the genus Silurus Linnaeus. VIII. Fishes of the genus Callichrous Hamilton. Rec. Indian Mus., 38: 347–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1937. Geographical distribution of Indian freshwater fishes and its bearing on the probable land connections between India and adjacent countries. Curr. Sci. 5: 351–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1937. Comparison of the fish faunas of the Northern and the Southern faces of the great Himalayan range. Rec. Indian Mus., 39: 241–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1937. The Game Fishes of India. 1. The Indian Trout. Barilius (Opsarius) bola Hamilton. F. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 39: 200–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1937. The Game Fishes of India. II. The Bachhwa or Butchwa. Eutro- piichthys vacha. F. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 39: 431–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1937. The Game Fishes of India. III. Garua, Bachcha or Gaurchha. Clupisoma garua (Hamilton) and two allied species. F. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 39: 659–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1937. On fossil fish-remains from the Karewas of Kashmir. Rec. geol. Surv. India, 72: 178–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1938. The Game Fishes of India. IV. The Silond Catfish. Silonia silondia (Hamilton). F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 40: 137–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1938. The Game Fishes of India. V. The Pungas Catfish. Pangasius pangasius (Hamilton). F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 40: 355–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1938. On the age of the Deccan trap as evidenced by fossil fish remains. Curr. Sci., 6: 370–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1938. On some fossil fish-scales from the intertrappean beds at Deothan and Kheri, Central Provinces. Rec. geol. Surv. India, 73: 267–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1939. The Game Fishes of India. VI. The Goonch. Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton). F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 40: 583–593.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1939. The Game Fishes of India. VII. The Mulley or Boali. Wallagonia attu (Bloch and Schneider). F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 41: 64–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1940. The Game Fishes of India. XI. The Mahseers or the large-scaled barbels of India. 4. The Bokar of the Assamese and Katli of the Nepalese. Barbus (Lissochilus) hexagonolepis McClelland. F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 42: 78–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1941. Siluroid fishes of India, Burma and Ceylon. XI. Fishes of the Scheilbeid genera Silonopangasius Hora, Pseudeutropius Bleeker, Proeutropiichthys Hora and Ailia Gray. XII. A further note on fishes of the genus Clarias Gronovius. Rec. Indian Mus., 43: 97–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1944. On the Malayan affinities of the freshwater fish fauna of Peninsular India, and its bearing on the probable age of the Garo-Rajmahal gap. Proc. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 10: 423–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1948. The distribution of Crocodiles and Chelonians in Ceylon, India, Burma and farther East. Proc. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 14: 285–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1949. The fish fauna of Rihand river and its zoogeographical significance. F. zool. Soc. India, 1: 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1949. Discontinuous distribution of certain fishes of the Far East to Penin¬sular India. Proc. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 411–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1949. Satpura hypothesis of the distribution of the Malayan fauna and flora to Peninsular India. Proc. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 309–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1951. Siluroid fishes of India, Burma & Ceylon. XIII. Fishes of the genus Erethistes Müller & Troschel, Hara Blyth and two new allied genera. Rec. Indian Mus., 47: 183–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1953. The Satpura Hypothesis. Sci. Progress., 41: 245–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1953. Fish distribution and Central Asian Orography. Curr. Sci., 22: 93–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1955. Tectonic history of India and its bearing on fish geography. F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 52: 692–701.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1955. The status of the Satpura Hypothesis. Bull. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 7: 264–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1955. The evolution of the Indian torrential environment and its fishes. Bull. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 7: 264–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. 1955. Place of Kashmir in the fish geography of India. Everyday Sci. 3: 36–45. HORA, S. L. & K. C. JAYARAM, 1949. Remarks on the distribution of snakes of Peninsular India with Malayan affinities. Proc. nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 399–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. & N. C. LAW, 1941. Siluroid fishes of India, Burma & Ceylon. IX. Fishes of the genera Gagata Bleeker and Nangra Day. X Fishes of the genus Batasio Blyth. Rec. Indian Mus., 43: 9–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. & D. D. MUKERJI, 1935. Fishes collected by the third Netherland Karakorum Expedition. Wiss. Ergeb. Niederl. Kamkorum, 1: 426–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • HORA, S. L. & K. K. NAIR, 1941. Fishes of the Satpura Range, Hoshangabad District, Central Provinces. Rec. Indian Mus., 43: 387–393.

    Google Scholar 

  • JACOB, K., 1949. Land connections between Ceylon and Peninsular India. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 341–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. C. 1949. Distribution of Lizards of Peninsular India with Malayan affinities. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 403–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. C. 1949. A note on the distribution of Chelonians of Peninsular India with Malayan affinities. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 15: 397–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. C. 1953. The Palaearctic element in the fish fauna of Peninsular India. Bull. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 7: 260–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. C. & N. MAJUMDAR, 1964. On a collection of fish from the Kameng Frontier Division, NEFA. F. Bombay. Nat. Hist. Soc., 61: 264–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. G. 1966. Contributions to the study of the Bagrid fishes (Siluroidea: Bagridae). 1. A systematic account of the genera Rita Bleeker, Rama Bleeker, Mystus Scopoli and Horabagrus Jayaram. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol., 51: 433–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. C. 1966. Contributions to the study of the fishes of the family Bagridae. 2. A systematic account of the African genera with a new classification of the family. Bull. Inst. Fond. Afr. Noire, 28: 1064–1139.

    Google Scholar 

  • JAYARAM, K. C. 1968. Contributions to the study of the Bagrid fishes (Siluroidea: Bagridae). 3. A systematic account of the Japanese, Chinese, Malayan and Indonesian genera. Treubia, 27: 286–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • KREMPF, A. & P. CHEVEY, 1934. The continental shelf of French Indo-China and the relationship which formerly existed between Indo-China and the East Indies. Proc. Fifth Pacific Sci. Congr., 1933: 849–852.

    Google Scholar 

  • KRISHNAN, M. S. 1944. Introduction to the Geology of India. Madras: Madras Law- Journal Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • KRISHNAN, M. S. 1968. Physiographic characteristics of Peninsular Ranges. Chapter V. In: Mountains and Rivers of India, 21st International Geographical Congress, India, 88–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • LYDEKKER, R. 1886. Indian Tertiary and post-Tertiary vertebrata. Tertiary fishes. Palaeont. Indica, 3: 241–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • MANI, M. S. 1968. Zoogeography of the mountains of India. In: Mountains and Rivers of India. 21st Internat. Geogr. Congr. India, pp. 96–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • MARSHALL, N. B. 1965. The life of fishes. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

    Google Scholar 

  • MATHEW, W. D. 1915. Climate and evolution. Ann. NY. Acad. Sci., 24: 171–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MEDLICOTT, H. & W. T. BLANFORD, 1879. A mannual of the Geology of India.

    Google Scholar 

  • MENON, A. G. K. 1950. On a remarkable blind siluroid fish of the family Clariidae from Kerala (India). Rec. Indian Mus. 48: 59–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • MENON, A. G. K. 1951. Distribution of Clariid fishes and its significance in zoo- geographical studies. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 17: 291–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • MENON, A. G. K. 1951. Further studies regarding Hora’s Satpura Hypothesis. The Role of the Eastern Ghats in the distribution of the Malayan Fauna and Flora to Peninsular India. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 17: 475–497.

    Google Scholar 

  • MENON, A. G. K. 1953. Age of transgression of the Bay of Bengal and its significance in the evolution of the freshwater fish fauna of India. Bull. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 7: 240–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • MILLER, R. R. 1966. Geographical distribution of Central American freshwater fishes. Copeia, 4: 773–802.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MUKERJI, D. D. 1934. Report on Burmese fishes collected by Lt. Col. R. W. BURTON from the tributary streams of the Mali Hka river of the Myitkyina district (Upper Burma). Parts I and II. F. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 37: 38–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • MYERS, G. S. 1938. Fresh-water fishes and west Indian zoogeography. Ann. Rep. Smith. Inst, for 1937, pp. 339–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • MYERS, G. S. 1949. Salt tolerance of freshwater fish groups in relation to zoogeographical problems. Bijdr. Dierk., 28: 315–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • MYERS, G. S. 1966. Derivation of the freshwater fish fauna of Central America. Copeia, 4: 766–773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MYERS, G. S. 1967. Zoogeographical evidence of the age of the South Atlantic Ocean. Studies in Tropical Oceanography Miami, 5: 614–621.

    Google Scholar 

  • MORI, T. 1936. Studies on the geographical distribution of freshwater fishes in Eastern Asia. Chosen.

    Google Scholar 

  • NOBLE, G. K. 1954. The Biology of the Amphibia. New York: Dover Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • OLDHAM, T. 1859. On some fossil fish-Teeth of the genus Ceratodus from Maledi, south of Nagpur. Mem. Geol. Surv. India, 1: 295–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • PRASHAD, B. 1942. Zoogeography of India. Annual Address to the National Institute of Sciences of India. 7–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAHNI, B. 1937. WEGENER’S Theory of continental drift with reference to India and adjacent countries. Proc. Indian Sci. Congr. 24th session, General Discussions, pp. 502–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAHNI, M. R. 1941. Palaeogeographical revolutions in the Indo-Burmese region and neighbouring Lands. Proc. Indian Sci. Congr. 28th session, Presidential Address, Section of Geology, pp. 32.

    Google Scholar 

  • SARASIN, F. 1910. Über die Geschichte der Tierwelt von Ceylon. Zool. Fahrb. Leipzig. (Suppl.) 12.

    Google Scholar 

  • SCHWARTZ, F. J. 1964. Natural salinity tolerances of some freshwater fishes. Underwater Nature, 2: 13–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • SCLATER, P. L. 1858. On the general Geographical distribution of the members of the Class Aves. F. Linn. Soc. London, 2: 130–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • SILAS, E. G. 1952. Further studies regarding HORA’S Satpura Hypothesis. 2. Taxonomic Assessment and levels of Evolutionary divergences of Fishes with the so-called Malayan affinities in Peninsular India. Proc. Nat. Inst. Sci. India, 18: 423–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • SILAS, E. G. 1953. Classification, zoogeography and Evolution of the fishes of the Cyprinoid families Homalopteridae and Gastromyzonidae. Rec. Indian Mus., 50: 173–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • SILAS, E. G. 1958. Studies on Cyprinid fishes of the Oriental genus Chela Hamilton. F. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 55: 54–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • SMITH, M. A. 1931. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. 1. Loricata, Testudines. London: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • SMITH, M. A. 1935. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. I I. Sauria. London. Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • SMITH, M. A. 1943. The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, including the whole of the Indo-Chinese subregion. Reptilia and Amphibia, I II. Serpentes. London: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • WADIA, D. N. 1968. The Himalayan Mountains: its origin, and Geographical relations. Chapter II In Mountains and Rivers of India. 21st International Geographical Congress, India, 35–41.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. K. C. Jayaram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. St. John’s College, Agra, India

    M. S. Mani M.A., D.Sc. (Emeritus Professor of Entomology) (Emeritus Professor of Entomology)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1974 Dr. W. Junk b.v., Publishers, The Hague

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Jayaram, K.C. (1974). Ecology and Distribution of Fresh-Water Fishes, Amphibia and Reptiles. In: Mani, M.S. (eds) Ecology and Biogeography in India. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 23. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2331-3_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2331-3_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-2333-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-2331-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation