Genus · Barbs

Naziritor

Naziritor is a genus with 2 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Barbs section, recorded from India, Nepal and Pakistan. Adult sizes run from 12.5 in to 26 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
2
Adult sizes
12.5–26 in
IUCN assessed
2 of 2 · 1 threatened
Recorded from
3 countries

About the genus

Naziritor is a genus of large-bodied barbs in the mahseer group, a lineage of big-scaled cyprinid fishes found in the fast-flowing rivers and foothill streams of South Asia. The genus was split out from the true mahseers of Tor on anatomical grounds and is native to Pakistan, India, and Nepal. The atlas covers 2 species, Naziritor chelynoides (the dark mahseer) and N. zhobensis (the Zhobi mahseer), spanning a wide size range from roughly 12.5–26 in - substantial river fish built for holding position in strong current, with the deep body, large cycloid scales, and thick, fleshy lips typical of mahseer-type barbs.

Naziritor species are not aquarium staples; their large adult size and specialised riverine habitat requirements put them well outside typical home-tank keeping, and they are of far greater interest to river ecologists and, regionally, to anglers than to hobbyists. The conservation picture is mixed - one of the two species in the atlas carries a Vulnerable IUCN status, reflecting pressures common to South Asian river fish generally, such as damming, sand mining, and overfishing of mahseer-type species for food, while the other has not yet been formally assessed.

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable · 1 Not Evaluated · 1

The 2 species

Every Naziritor recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

McClelland, 1839

Dark mahseer

26 in TL · VU

Mirza, 1967

Zhobi mahseer

12.5 in SL · NE

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Naziritor. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/naziritor/

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