ON A COLLECTION OF FISH FROM BANGALORE AND KOLAR DISTRICTS , KARNATAKA

INTRODUCTION In pursuance of the approved annual programme of work, two surveys have been conducted in Bangalore and Kolar districts during December 200 1 and March 2002. A total of 2578 specimens under 15 families, 22 genera and allocated to 29 species have been collected and studied. Species have been identified following the guidelines of Day (1875-78), Talwar and Jhingran (1991), Jayaram (1999) and Menon (1999). There is paucity of reliable scientific information on the ichthyofaunal diversity of these districts and hence this work. The systematic list includes relevant reference, material examined giving details of specimens collected, their length range, locality, date of collection and registration numbers, followed by details of distribution. Sample collections have been done by M. B. Raghunathan from 10.12.2001 to 29.12.2001 and S. Krishnan from 11.03.2002 to 29.03.2002.


INTRODUCTION
In pursuance of the approved annual programme of work, two surveys have been conducted in Bangalore and Kolar districts during December 200 1 and March 2002.A total of 2578 specimens under 15 families, 22 genera and allocated to 29 species have been collected and studied.Species have been identified following the guidelines of Day (1875-78), Talwar and Jhingran (1991), Jayaram (1999) and Menon (1999).There is paucity of reliable scientific information on the ichthyofaunal diversity of these districts and hence this work.
The systematic list includes relevant reference, material examined giving details of specimens collected, their length range, locality, date of collection and registration numbers, followed by details of distribution.Sample collections have been done by M. B. Raghunathan from 10.12.2001 to 29. 12.2001    Distribution: India: Eastern and Southern India.Bangladesh.Both Talwar and Jhingran (1991) and Menon (1999) do not include the west face of Western Ghats and limit the distribution of the species to the eastern part of India and Bangladesh.Material: 1 ex., 49 mm SL, Bangalore, 28.12.2001,F.6864.
Distribution: India: Peninsular India.Bangladesh.Myanmar.Nepal.Sri Lanka.Thailand.Remarks: This is the first report of the species from Cauvery system in Kamataka.Though the specimens are characterised by hypertrophied labial fold; some differences have been observed from the typical species, details of which are being discussed elsewhere.

DISCUSSION
A comprehensive account of the ichthyofauna of Cauvery River system by Jayaram et al.,  (1982) reports the presence of 93 species in Karnataka.Recently Chandrashekhariah et al., (2000) have given elaborate version of distributional pattern and status of the ichthyofauna in the different drainages in Karnataka viz., Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari and west flowing rivers in the state.They reported 97 species from Cauvery River including 42 species not reported by Jayaram (op.cit).The ichthyofaunal composition of the Cauvery system draining Karnataka, based on the above cited papers totals to 135.
In the present study from Bangalore and Kolar districts alone 29 species have been collected which includes two new records viz., Esomus thermoicos and Rasbora labiosa the fonner new addition to Karnataka fauna and the latter to the Cauvery system.E. thermoicos earlier thought to be restricted to Sri Lanka is now found in Southern India.Rasbora labiosa restricted to its type locality in Deolali Nasik district, Maharashtra has been reported recently in the Godavary system in Karnataka also (Chandrashekhariah et al., op. cit.).Also Amblypharyngodon microlepis and Aplocheilus panchax were collected in the wild after their first report by Hora in 1937.
Remarks : This species, probably introduced through aquarium trade has recently been found in several water bodies.Distribution: Throughout North India and in some parts of South India.Bangladesh.Myanmar.Nepal.Pakistan.Sri Lanka.