It has been suggested that the species represents a junior synonym of Tor tambra.[2][3]T. tambra, T. tambroides and T. douronensis may be synonymous.[4]
The species is omnivorous, sometimes eating toxic fruits when the streams it inhabits flood the forest; this may make them temporarily inedible. During the rainy season, juveniles migrate downstream. After 2 months, matured adults travel back upstream to spawn at the headwaters in the dry season.[5]
While the species is not currently assigned a conservation status by the IUCN due to lack of data, overfishing is assumed to threaten the wild population.[1] The empurau, as the species is known in Malaysia, is reportedly the most expensive edible fish in the country[6] and has been known to fetch up to RM1800 per kilogram of the fish.[7]
Empurau can be grown in captivity. The fish require moving, well-oxygenated water. They should be fed on various fruits and seeds to simulate their natural diet.[8] Artificial hormones may be necessary to induce reproduction.[9]
^"Guidelines for genetic management and conservation". Artificial propagation of empurau, Tor tambroides and semah, Tor douronensis, two species of commercial and conservation value to Sarawak, Malaysia. Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific. 12 November 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
