Fishes of the genus Labeo Cuvier are widely distributed throughout India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand up to South China. They are well represented with about 49 species in tropical Africa and Syria. It has a limited distribution in Sri Lanka; 28 species are known from the Indian region. It is well known that the Indian sub-region of the Oriental Region has perhaps the largest number of fish genera representing nearly 63% of the 89 primary fresh water genera known. Jayaram (1974), while discussing the ecology and distribution of freshwater fishes, considered Labeo as an Ethiopian element represented by ancient well-stabilized species occuring in a wide range of ecological niches, but preferably streams in plains.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR K C Jayaram
Dr. K.C. Jayaram, former joint director, Zoological Survey of India has been active in freshwater fish taxonomy and Zoogeography since 1947. He has covered many river systems for their fish fauna such as Brahmputra, Cauvery, Krishna and Mahanadi through intensive surveys. His work on the Cauvery fish Fauna is a comprehensive first-time account of the fish fauna of the entire river system. This work served as the basis for an integrated research programme on the same river funded by the ministry of Environment and Forests. Eleven post-graduate colleges and six Universities participated in this three year programme. Dr. Jayaram was the director of this project and results are under publication under his executive editorship. He is a member of many scientific committees and his advice is sought after in biodiversity, river ecology matters specially in respect of the fish fauna. He is a D.Sc. of Madras University and a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, Allahabad, Zoological Society of India, Bhubaneshwar and Madras Science Foundation, Chennai. He was awarded the prestigious Pitambar Pant National Environment Fellowship by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and is currently studying the eco-status of the Deccan Mahseer fishes. He has trained and guided a number of students who occupy important positions. He has to his credit about 120 papers including several monographs published in India and abroad. His earlier book on the same subject was universally acclaimed and ran out of print fast. He is considered on of the leading authorities on the freshwater fish fauna of the Indian region.
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