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Mahseer ((ヒンディー語:महाशीर) or महासीर; (ウルドゥー語:مہاشیر)) is the common name used for the genera ''Tor'', ''Neolissochilus'', and ''Naziritor'' in the family Cyprinidae (carps). The name ''mahseer'' is however more often restricted to members of the genus ''Tor''.〔Sen TK, Jayaram KC, 1982. The Mahseer Fish of India – a Review. Rec. Zoological Survey of India. Misc. Publ. Occasional Paper 39, 38p.〕 The range of these fish is from Malaysia, Indonesia, across southern Asia including the Indian Peninsula and Pakistan.〔Menon AGK, 1992. Taxonomy of mahseer fishes of the genus ''Tor'' Gray with description of a new species from the Deccan. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 89 (2):210–228〕 They are commercially important game fish, as well as highly esteemed food fish. Mahseer fetch high market price, and are potential candidate species for aquaculture.〔Ogale, S.N. 2002 Mahseer breeding and conservation and possibilities of commercial culture. The Indian experience. In T. Petr and D.B. Swar (eds.) Cold Water Fisheries in the Trans-Himalayan Countries. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. 431.〕 Several of the larger species have suffered severe declines, and are now considered threatened due to pollution, habitat loss and overfishing. The taxonomy of the mahseers is confusing due to the morphological variations they exhibit. In developing strategies for aquaculture and propagation assisted rehabilitation of mahseer species, there is a need to resolve taxonomic ambiguities. Mahseers inhabit both rivers and lakes, ascending to rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding. Like other types of carps, they are omnivorous, eating not only algae, crustaceans, insects, frogs, and other fish, but also fruits that fall from trees overhead. The first species from this group were scientifically described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822, and first mentioned as an angling challenge by the Oriental Sporting Magazine in 1833, soon becoming a favorite quarry of British anglers living in India.〔Cordington, K. De. B. 1939. ''Notes on Indian Mahseer''. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society. 46: 336–334〕 The golden mahseer is the largest member of the group and one of the largest cyprinids; it has been known to reach in length and in weight, although specimens of this size are rarely seen nowadays. In addition to being caught for sport, mahseer are also part of commercial fishing and ornamental or aquarium fish. ==Etymology== The Hindi name of mahāsir, mahāser, or mahāsaulā is used for a number of fishes of the group. Several sources of the common name ''mahseer'' have been suggested: It has been said to be derived from Sanskrit, while others claim it is derived from Indo-Persian, ''mahi''- fish and ''sher''- tiger or ''tiger among fish'' in Persian. Alternatively, ''mahā-śalka'', meaning ''large-scaled'', as the scales are so large that Francis Buchanan mentions that playing cards were made from them at Dacca. Another theory by Henry Sullivan Thomas suggests ''mahā-āsya'': ''great mouth.''〔Yule, Henry, Sir. Hobson-Jobson: ''A glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian words and phrases, and of kindred terms, etymological, historical, geographical and discursive''. New ed. edited by William Crooke, B.A. London: J. Murray, 1903.〕 The name mahasher is commonly used in Urdu, Punjabi and Kashmiri languages in Pakistan for this fish and is said to be made up of two local words: maha = big and sher = lion as it ascends in the hilly rivers and streams of Himalaya courageously. It is also found in Nepal, where it is called sahar. (British anglers in India called them the ''Indian salmon''.) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mahseer」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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