1. Mahseer (Tor spp., Cyprinidae) are iconic, large-bodied, migratory freshwater fishes of Asian rivers. Long valued as a food source and serving other societal roles, these fishes are severely threatened by a broad range of interacting and escalating human impacts, including dam construction, water pollution, over-exploitation, and habitat destruction. Mahseer fishes are therefore beneficial to people, both directly and as indicators of ecosystem functionality and the associated ecosystem service benefits provided by the rivers that they inhabit.
2. A literature review demonstrated that wild mahseer populations have a direct role in 11 of the 36 ecosystem services assessed and are indicative of a further 18 ecosystem services provided by the habitats that support them.
3. Recognition of this range of ecosystem service benefits is helpful in describing to non-specialist public and policy-making communities the diversity of values provided by mahseer fishes and their supporting habitats, and hence the importance of their conservation.
4. Assessment of the broad range of ecosystem services to which mahseer contribute is an approach that could usefully be applied to promote the benefits of conserving other ‘umbrella’ taxa and the habitats that support them.

中文翻译：

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评估 mahseer (Tor spp.) 鱼类的社会效益以加强其保护的基础

1. Mahseer（Tor  spp.，Cyprinidae）是亚洲河流中标志性的大型洄游淡水鱼。长期以来，这些鱼类被视为一种食物来源并发挥着其他社会作用，但受到广泛相互作用和不断升级的人类影响的严重威胁，包括大坝建设、水污染、过度开发和栖息地破坏。因此，马希尔鱼直接或作为生态系统功能的指标以及它们栖息的河流提供的相关生态系统服务效益的指标，都对人类有益。
2. 一项文献综述表明，野生马西鱼种群在评估的 36 种生态系统服务中的 11 种中具有直接作用，并且表明支持它们的栖息地提供了另外 18 种生态系统服务。
3. 认识到这一系列的生态系统服务效益有助于向非专业公众和决策社区描述鲅鱼及其支持栖息地所提供的价值多样性，以及保护它们的重要性。
4. 对 mahseer 所贡献的广泛生态系统服务进行评估是一种可以有效应用于促进保护其他“伞形”类群和支持它们的栖息地的好处的方法。