Thiruvananthapuram, Monday, February 01, 2010: ‘Puntius Denisonii’, an ornamental fish known across the globe as ‘Miss Kerala’, and one which has been facing the danger of extinction, has been put on the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) an environment protection group.
A freshwater fish that was once endemic and largely exclusive to the running waters of the Achenkovil and Chaliyar rivers, Miss Kerala, also known as the Red Line Torpedo Barb, was a major export revenue earner for the State in the ornamental fish export sector, with each of these beauties raking in at least Rs.1,500. However, with no apparent steps from authorities concerned to curb the exports, the Barb was slowly swimming towards becoming history.
According to the group, s the Puntius Denisonii is “vulnerable” because it has a restricted Extent of Occurrence (less than 20,000 km²), and is suffering from a decline in habitat quality and number of mature individuals.
‘Miss Kerala’, according to the list, is found in only four locations - the Cheenkannipuzha (tributary of the Valapattanam River), Achenkovil, Chaliyar, and near Mundakayam. The Red List also states that the fish is likely to be threatened by habitat degradation.
Together with ‘Miss Kerala’, 52 other species of freshwater fishes from India have been placed under various threat categories in the IUCN Red List.