Edit Garra spilota

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Name

Scientific name

Garra spilota

Described by

Authority Kullander & Fang, Year 2004

Family

Cyprinidae

Common names

Not recorded

Photograph credits

All 4 credited

Summary

Garra spilota is a small cyprinid probably endemic to the Rakhine Yoma, or Arakan, mountains in western Myanmar, and occasionally seen in t…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

69mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 90 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Water movement High: fast-flowing river or riffle

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 20–26°C, pH 6–7.5

Hardness

2–12dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Myanmar, Ayeyarwady, Naung Pin Thar Chaung

Writing

Etymology

Garra: vernacular Gangetic name for a particular species of “sand-digger,” which Francis Buchanan-Hamilton applied as a generic name for bottom-dwelling cyprin…

Distribution

Probably endemic to the Rakhine Yoma/Arakan mountains in Rakhine state, western Myanmar, a range forming a natural barrier isolating most the area from the rem…

Habitat

The type locality is located in a hilly area mostly comprising bamboo forest. At time of collection the water was clear, colourless and flowing at a moderate p…

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base measurements of 90 ∗ 30 cm should be the smallest considered.

Maintenance

Not difficult to keep in a well-maintained set-up, but a display arranged to resemble a flowing stream or river, with a substrate of variably-sized, water-worn…

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

Although it will graze algae if available this species is not an exclusive herbivore. Offer meaty foods such as live or frozen chironomid larvae (bloodworm), T…

Behaviour and compatibility

Relatively peaceful and makes a good subject for the well-chosen, larger community of stream-dwelling Indochinese species. It seems to appreciate the company o…

Sexual dimorphism

Though many Garra spp. can be sexed by the degree of tuberculation on the snout and head, with males usually possessing more prominent development, this featur…

Reproduction

Unrecorded.

Notes

G. spilota is among the more attractive species in the genus and is occasionally available in the aquarium trade. It is distinguished from all other Garra spec…

G. spilota is among the more attractive species in the genus and is occasionally available in the aquarium trade.

It is distinguished from all other Garra species by possessing reddish fins, a series of dark blotches on the flanks, and unique upper lip structure consisting of a soft lining with growths of unculi. It also lacks rostral lobes and differs from the similar G. flavatra in some meristic counts.

The genus Garra is a particularly enigmatic grouping with new taxa described on a regular basis, while many of the existing ones may represent cases of misidentification or synonyms of other species. Some of the revisions have also been called into question, which has added further confusion. A full generic review would be ideal but is unlikely to materialise given the extensive distribution of its members which range from southern China across much of southeast Asia, India and the Middle East as far as north/central Africa.

Instead a number of less-extensive works published in recent years have resulted in a gradual, but continuing, improvement in knowledge, and it remains possible that the genus will be broken up into smaller taxa since the current assemblage is almost certainly polyphyletic.

Garra species are usually included in the subfamily Labeoninae/Cyprininae or tribe Labeonini (name varies with author) which by recent thinking is further divided into four subtribes; Labeoina, Garraina, Osteochilina, and Semilabeoina (Yang et al., 2012)[5]. The putatively monophyletic Garraina comprises a number of genetic lineages including Garra sensu stricto (which also includes Horalabiosa, Phreatichthys and possibly other genera), a small clade comprising Garra cambodgiensis and G. fascicauda (thus rendering Garra polyphyletic), Paracrossocheilus, and Gonorhynchus (which includes Akrokolioplax).

Two species, G. micropulvinus and Ageneiogarra imberba, are placed in the Semilabeoina assemblage. The generic name Ageneiogarra Garman, 1912 was suggested for both, and the Catalog of Fishes and FishBase now use it for A. imberba. In addition, some genera which were previously considered to be close relatives of Garra species such as Discogobio, Discocheilus and Placocheilus, are now also placed in this subtribe.

All genera currently included in Garraina possess a lower lip modified to form a mental adhesive disc, allowing the fish to cling to surfaces in turbulent conditions. In most species the upper lip is almost entirely reduced and both the upper and lower jaw margins are keratinised, i.e., horny, and used to scrape food items from the substrate.

Garra species are distinguished from other Garraina members by the first two pectoral-fin rays usually being thickened, fleshy and unbranched, possession of 10-11 dorsal-fin rays, and a combination of internal characters. Some species have evolved particular environmental specialisms such as highly reduced eyes in hypogean forms or the ability to survive in thermal springs.

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References

5 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References