1. The mahseer (Tor spp.) fishes of South and Southeast Asia are iconic megafaunal species that are highly valued by recreational anglers. Knowledge on their populations is limited owing to the challenges associated with sampling these large‐bodied fishes (>50 kg) in remote monsoonal rivers.
2. Despite its global iconic status among recreational anglers, the hump‐backed mahseer of the Cauvery River (South India) lacked a valid scientific name and was on a trajectory towards extinction until its rapidly declining population status was established by analyses of angler catch records.
3. Angling records from 1998 to 2012 showed that mahseer catch rates had increased in this period. The resulting publication in Aquatic Conservation (AQC) highlighted the positive role of catch‐and‐release angling in providing information on data‐poor species. However, further analyses showed that these catches comprised not one but two distinct phenotypes.
4. Before 1993, all mahseer captured were hump‐backed; since then, a blue‐fin phenotype appeared in catches and subsequently dominated them. These results triggered further studies indicating that the hump‐backed mahseer was the endemic Tor remadevii and that the blue‐fin was the invasive Tor khudree, introduced in 1976 and then stocked periodically from hatcheries.
5. The initial AQC publication successfully demonstrated the high value of organized angling as a monitoring tool for data‐poor fishes and its application to assessing the temporal population patterns of large‐bodied fishes in monsoonal rivers. It was also the catalyst for initiating subsequent studies on T. remadevii that, together, enabled its recent assessment as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In the absence of the AQC paper, and the subsequent studies that it triggered, it is highly probable that the species would have remained on a trajectory towards rapid extinction. Instead, the first major steps to safeguarding its future have been taken.

中文翻译：

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从科学模糊性到保护优先性：对垂钓者捕捞率的研究是使驼背马赫Tor remadevii免于灭绝的催化剂

1. 南亚和东南亚的大头鱼（Tor spp。）是标志性的大型动物，被休闲垂钓者高度重视。由于在偏远季风河中对这些大体鱼类（> 50千克）进行采样带来的挑战，因此对其种群的了解有限。
2. 尽管它在休闲垂钓者中具有全球标志性地位，但驼背的马夫塞河（南印度）缺乏有效的科学名称，并且一直处于灭绝的轨道，直到通过对垂钓者捕捞记录的分析确定其迅速下降的人口状况为止。
3. 从1998年到2012年的垂钓记录显示，在此期间，大马哈鱼的捕获率有所提高。由此产生的水生保护（AQC）出版物突出了捕捞和释放渔获在提供数据贫乏物种信息方面的积极作用。但是，进一步的分析表明，这些捕获物不是一个而是两个不同的表型。
4. 在1993年之前，所有被捕的马赫塞人都被驼背了。从那时起，蓝鳍表型出现在渔获物中，并随后占主导地位。这些结果引发了进一步的研究，表明驼背的大马赫鱼是地方性的Tor remadevii，蓝鳍鱼是侵入性的Tor khudree，于1976年引入，然后定期从孵化场放养。
5. 最初的AQC出版物成功地证明了有组织的钓鱼作为监测数据贫乏鱼类的工具的高度价值，并将其应用于评估季风河流中大体鱼类的时间种群格局。同时，它也是启动关于再造T. vivii的研究的催化剂，共同使它最近在国际自然保护联盟（IUCN）红色名录上被评为“极度濒危”。在没有AQC论文及其引发的后续研究的情况下，极有可能该物种将保持在快速灭绝的轨道上。相反，已经采取了捍卫其未来的第一个主要步骤。