Hypselobarbuskurali(Red-tailed Barb)is a commercially important food fish that is endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. The estimated growth parameters of H. kurali include an asymptotic length (L∞) ranging between 263.55 and 368.55 mm and growth coefficient (K) varying from 0.42 and 0.82 yr-1 across different rivers. The fishing mortality rate observed for H. kurali in the Periyar River of 1.37 yr^-1 seems to be among the highest ever documented for this species. The current exploitation rate (E), which varies from 0.44 to 0.63 yr^-1, slightly exceeding the optimum exploitation level (E=0.47) in two rivers and strongly exceeding in one river. It indicates that unmanaged fishery may have resulted in unsustainable exploitation, making this cyprinid population in Western Ghats rivers at risk of an imminent collapse.