Among the reasons for the species' extreme threat status is the introduction of non-native mahseers
Tor khudree and Himalayan
golden mahseer (
Tor putitora) to the wider Kaveri river basin. Also endangering this species is the heavy construction of
dams along the Kaveri and tributaries, as well as the use of
dynamite fishing. These and other factors including loss of riparian cover, industrial and urban pollutions, irrigation and abstraction, plus climatic changes in monsoon weather patterns led to a heavy crash in hump-backed mahseer populations around 2004. Despite this endangered status, the general lack of a formal
scientific name had previously hampered efforts to protect the species. However, a 2018 study found that the orange-finned mahseer was in fact conspecific with
Tor remadeviae, a little-known species identified in 2007 based on 19 individuals sampled from the
Pambar River in 2004. This has allowed the species as known from historic records across the whole river basin to finally gain a scientific name and an updated Red Listing. These will both be of help for future conservation efforts. == Gallery ==