AMA on Indian Native Fishes

Exclusive for The Weekend Aquarist Subscribers

By Amar Salvi

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

India’s freshwater fish rarely get the spotlight they deserve - yet very few people have done more to document them than Beta Mahatvaraj, better known as Meenkaran. For over two decades, he has explored streams and rivers across the subcontinent, photographing and studying Indian natives both in the wild and in aquaria. His photographs are permanently displayed at the Chennai Public Aquarium. In this exclusive AMA session, hosted live for The Weekend Aquarist subscribers, Beta joined fellow hobbyists - Suneal Mendonca, Dheeraj Shetty, Vivek Jayan, Arun Kumar, and Tushar Abhyankar - for a free-flowing discussion on everything from mudskippers to Malabar Snakeheads. The conversation offers a close look at native Indian fishes, their habitats, aquarium care and the importance of keeping the hobby connected to the wild.

Beginnings and a Lifelong Pursuit

“I must’ve been five when I caught my first fish in Kerala,” Beta recalls. “That spark never left.” By 1988 he had his first glass aquarium in Chennai, and a decade later a field trip to the Eastern Ghats changed everything. “I realised what I wanted to leave behind - a record of India’s native fishes. After 100 years, if someone asks what I contributed, I’d like them to find my photos and know I tried.” Over 25 years of travel have followed, documenting wild habitats, spawning behaviour and aquatic biodiversity first-hand.

Mudskippers: The Amphibians of the Estuary

Asked about Indian mudskippers, Beta smiled. “That question’s a full toss - I’ve made all the mistakes.” Most Indian mudskippers sold in the hobby come from the Sundarbans. He divides them into two kinds:

• Dwarf mudskippers - Periophthalmus novemradiatus and P. septemradiatus - small, hardy, and best suited to an aquarium.

• Large mudskipper - Boleophthalmus boddarti - a five-inch territorial grazer that needs a six-foot tank. “They’re not display curiosities; they’re burrow-builders,” he stresses. A proper setup should be 70–80% mud and only 20–30% water, just two inches deep, sloped for burrowing.

The substrate must be mud, not sand or aragonite. His recipe: potter’s clay + bentonite + kaolin + a dash of activated carbon for strength and dark tone. Dwarf species can burrow in four inches of mud; larger ones need seven to eight inches. Add mangroves and fiddler crabs for realism, and never forget filtration - fine foam guards the pump from silt. Breeding remains elusive without tidal simulation, but when kept right, mudskippers are among the most captivating of India’s intertidal creatures.

Etroplus canarensis - From “Extinct” to Icon

The Etroplus canarensis, or Canara Pearlspot, was once thought lost until the mid-1990s. A query from US-based hobbyist Vin Kutty set Beta searching - and by sheer luck, he found three live specimens in an old Chennai shop. “They’d come in an export batch. Finding them felt like striking gold.” Field verification followed, and the fish became a symbol of rediscovered Indian biodiversity. When the early IAH community debated a logo, the final shortlist was Etroplus canarensis versus the Dwarf Gourami and canarensis won by a single vote. “For an Indian cichlid lover, that fish is heritage,” Beta says.

Etroplus canarensis - From “Extinct” to Icon

The Etroplus canarensis, or Canara Pearlspot, was once thought lost until the mid-1990s. A query from US-based hobbyist Vin Kutty set Beta searching - and by sheer luck, he found three live specimens in an old Chennai shop. “They’d come in an export batch. Finding them felt like striking gold.” Field verification followed, and the fish became a symbol of rediscovered Indian biodiversity. When the early IAH community debated a logo, the final shortlist was Etroplus canarensis versus the Dwarf Gourami and canarensis won by a single vote. “For an Indian cichlid lover, that fish is heritage,” Beta says.

Malabar Snakehead & Pearlspot - Heritage Fish of Kerala

Participant Vivek Jayan from Dubai asked about the Malabar Snakehead (Channa diplogramma), once common across Kerala’s waterways. Beta confirmed sightings at Kumarakom but warned that population data is anecdotal. “Unlike tigers, you can’t camera-trap fish,” he laughs. “They appear one season, vanish the next.” Urbanisation and pollution inevitably reduce stocks. “When we say ‘development’, for fish it’s never development - it’s destruction.” He also noted that while government hatcheries breed loaches and catfish, C. diplogramma isn’t yet part of official conservation programs. For Kerala’s beloved Karimeen (Etroplus suratensis), Beta confirmed there’s only one species, now widely farmed - “and delicious,” he adds with a grin.

Keeping Indian Natives at Home

Many hobbyists struggle to keep local wild-caught fish healthy. Beta explains why: most city-side lakes are polluted, and wild fish come loaded with parasites. “When you bring them home, stress makes every hidden infection explode.” His golden rule: Quarantine. A month-long bare-bottom tank, terracotta hides, anti-parasite and internal deworming treatment - then move survivors to the main tank. “Some will die; the ones that live will live long.” For smaller subtropical species that can’t handle quarantine warmth, he recommends acclimating them to local temperatures before treating.

Dry Food or Live Food?

Good news for modern aquarists - about 70% of Indian natives accept dry food. Only specialists like puffers, Dario dario, and tiny predatory catfish insist on live or frozen diets. “All barbs, danios and gouramis take dry,” he says. “And Indian-made foods today are excellent.” He uses local brands exclusively now, even for discus. A 2×1×1 ft tank stocked with local barbs, danios and small loaches makes an easy, authentic Indian community.

Big Natives for Outdoor Ponds

For aquarists interested in Indian species rather than koi, size and flow decide the fish.

• For large ponds with strong current, the article highlights Tor spp. (mahseer).

• For medium flow, Hypselobarbus spp.

• For small ponds, Dawkinsia spp. (Filament barbs).

• And for grazing, Garra and small Labeo species.

Wild Indian barbs aren’t showy like koi but offer natural grace. “It’s the difference between a painted toy and a living river,” Beta says.

Hillstream Loaches & the Survivor from the Ghats

India’s hillstream loaches fascinate aquarists but defeat most. Travancoria, Ghatsa, and Balitora species all demand cool, pristine, oxygen-rich water. Only one genus truly copes with Indian room temperatures: Bhavania. “My Bhavania australis group has survived five years of Chennai summers, floods, and power cuts,” he notes. They graze biofilm constantly but can handle 28°C - making them the only realistic hillstream loach for most Indian keepers. Breeding, however, remains unconfirmed.

Water Chemistry vs. Stability

Do we need to expect wild parameters? Beta’s view is pragmatic. “Fish prefer stability over perfection,” he says. Temperature and nutrition are controllable; chasing precise pH or TDS usually causes more harm than good. He’s bred Etroplus canarensis and delicate Pseudolaguvia catfish in hard Chennai water simply by keeping conditions consistent. Soft-water species will survive, if not always breed, in stable tap water provided tanks are mature and well-maintained. Cool-water snakeheads may lose colour in heat - that’s temperature, not chemistry.

Keeping Indian Natives at Home

“Fish don’t get headlines. They don’t get fund. So it’s up to us - the hobbyists - to make sure India’s aquatic wealth doesn’t vanish before the next generation sees it.” This AMA was held exclusively for The Weekend Aquarist subscribers. The discussion brings together the practical realities of keeping Indian natives with the importance of documenting and understanding them in the wild.

Read the full story

The complete feature explores Beta Mahatvaraj’s lifelong pursuit of India’s native fishes, including mudskippers, pearlspots, snakeheads, barbs, danios, gouramis, puffers, catfish and hillstream loaches, along with his experiences of field collection, conservation, quarantine, feeding and aquarium keeping. Read the complete story in the October 2025 issue of The Weekend Aquarist.

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