Mekong mahseer

These fish have been found throughout Southeast Asia, ranging from Thailand in the Chao Phraya and Mekong River basins to the Greater Sunda Islands and Malaysia. The type locality of Tor tambra is the Indonesian island of Java.

Common to all mahseer species, Tor tambra is omnivorous, sometimes eating toxic fruits when the streams it inhabits flood the forest; this may make them temporarily inedible. The fruits of the invasive cash crop, oil palm Palm oil, known in Malaysia as sawit, are often devoured eagerly by mahseer in streams that flow near to plantations. There are suggestions that during the rainy season, juveniles migrate downstream and that after 2 months, mature adults travel back upstream to spawn at the headwaters in the dry season. It would seem more likely that adult fish access headwaters during high water conditions.

Across the region, there are many breeding centres for Tor tambra. There are several specialist aquaculture bodies who offer support and guidelines for when breeding fish like Tor tambra. Among the guidelines that should be adhered to when breeding mahseer, the following are some of the most important:

Ideally, brood stock and offspring should be housed in-stream Brood stock should be cleared-out and replaced at least every two years Larvae and fingerlings should be fed with natural, live foodstuffs like Daphnia and Chironomidae Any diseased or infirm stock should be destroyed immediately Bred fish should not be introduced to the wild without following IUCN conservation stocking guidelines following consultation with the relevant local authorities.