The status of Silurus wynaadensis Day (Siluridae: Pisces) with a note on its bionomics

In literature Silurus wynaadensis is considered to be a Critically Endangered species.Our field studies indicate differently.Many specimens were collected from various streams of Wynad and Kasargod districts of Kerala.The nocturnal habit and reserved nature of the species must have made it difficult for earlier researchers to collect it during their surveys.Taxonomically, main features of the specimens matched with the species characteristics of S. wynaadensis shown by Kobayakawa (1989) except in the meristic counts of mandibular barbels and anal finrays.The species studied had one or two pairs of mandibular barbels and 58-62 anal fin rays instead of two pairs of madibular barbels and 56 anal fin rays