India

This species may be seen listed as a member of Nemacheilus or the nomen nudum Noemacheilus in older literature and is sometimes sold as 'red tailed, striped sand loach' or 'red tailed squirrel loach'. Only two other Aborichthys have been described to...

This fish is usually traded as A. elongatus but that species appears endemic to higher altitude waters of the Brahmaputra drainage in Darjeeling District which borders Jalpaiguri to the north east. These flow down from the Sivalik Hills whereas the Raidak I originates in Bhutan. Only three species of Aborichthys have been officially described to date meaning this is likely to represent an undescribed species. It was pictured in Tekriwal and Rao (1999) under the name 'A. bijulensis' but...

This fish occasionally turns up as a contaminant in shipments of A. sp. 'AR01'. The latter is usually traded as A. elongatus but that species appears endemic to higher altitude waters of the Brahmaputra drainage in Darjeeling District which borders Jalpaiguri to the north east. These flow down from the Sivalik Hills whereas the Raidak I originates in Bhutan. Only three species of Aborichthys have been officially described to date meaning this is likely to represent an undescribed speci...

This species isn't common in the trade but occasional specimens may be found among shipments of wild caught fishes from northeast India, and it's sometimes seen on sale as 'pan...

A. sinuata is currently considered a synonym of A. mooreh by most authorities. This appears attributable to a lack of recent study since the two differ in distribution plu...

This species is among the few members of the family to be exported for the aquarium hobby though is by no means common. It can be differentiated from a...

This species is euryhaline and mostly inhabits lowland, often coastal, habitats containing still or slow-moving brackish or freshwater. It displays a preference for habitats with surface vegetation or overhanging cover and is commonly found in mangrove swamps and rice paddies.

Aplocheilus spp. are surface-dwelling predators preying on both aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. In the aquarium they will learn to accept dried foods in most cases but should also be offered regular meals of small live or frozen fare such as Artemia, Daphnia, chironomid larvae (bloodworm), etc.

Like most badids this species is poorly documented and has yet to find significant popularity in the aquarium hobby. It is easily confused with B. blosyrus at first glance as the body patterning of the two is almost identical but can be distinguished by its slightly larger adult size, noticeably shorter jaw profile and some other, mostly internal, meristic characters. Prior to 2002 the family Badidae inc...

This species is sometimes sold under the trade name of 'chameleon fish' due to its ability to rapidly change colour, especially when breeding or stressed. It was originally described as Labrus badis by Hamilton but Bleeker reclassified it as Badis buchanani in 1854; he had adopted the species name 'badis' as the new name for the genus and wished to avoid using a tautonym. At that time the use of tautonyms was avoided in zoological taxonomy but is now permissible under ICZN ru...

Like most badids this species is poorly documented and has yet to find significant popularity in the aquarium hobby. It is easily confused with B. assamensis at first glance as the body patterning of the two is almost identical but can be distinguished by its slightly smaller adult size, noticeably elongated, more well-developed jaw profile and some other, mostly internal, meristic characters.

This undescribed species has been available in the aquarium hobby since 2006. It may also be seen on sale with the name Badis sp. 'flame dot' in reference to the body scales which in males possess a bright red centre or B. sp. 'red' as it appeared in a 2007 German magazine article. It appears to belong to the B. corycaeus group of species (see below). Since the species Badis singenensis was...

This fish has yet to appear in the aquatic trade and only been exported in extremely limited numbers to date. Specimens collected from the Wahumiam River close to the settlement of Shella Bholaganj by Peter Cottle and Andrew Rao in 2006 were initially considered an undescribed species and referred to as B. sp.'Wahumiam River' or B. sp. 'terracotta', but later found to match B. tuivaiei in terms of morphology, meristics, etc. (S. van der Voort, pers. comm.).

Prior to its description this species was typically identified as the congener B. canarensis in the ornamental trade. It can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: uni...

This species is traded under several names including 'royal danio', 'blue-spotted hill trout', and 'blue-dotted mirror fish'. It can be distinguished from congeners by possessing a single row of bluish-green spots along the length of the body, white margins on the dorsal and anal fins, 37-38+1 lateral line scales, and fleshy rudi...

Type locality is given as 'Cedawáti [Vedawati] stream, headwaters of Krishna River near Heriuru, Mysore, India', with the species currently considered to occur throughout India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and probably Bhutan. It's also been recorded in Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka although some or all of these reports may refer to other species.

Type locality is 'Canara, southern India', which corresponds to a coastal region of approximately 300 km in length covering several districts of Karnataka and Kerala states, southwestern India. Rivers in this area drain the Western Gha...

This species is traded very occasionally, sometimes under the alternative vernacular names of 'river baril, 'river carp-baril', or 'striated hill trout'. It can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: 1 pair of minute rostra...

Probably restricted to southern parts of Karnataka state and northern Kerala state in southwestern India. Following its revalidation in 2015 (see 'Notes') it is known with certainty only from the Payaswini and Vallapattanam river systems in Kerala although it is thought to occur elsewhere.

Like many fishes that naturally inhabit running waters it's intolerant to the accumulation of organic wastes and requires spotless water at all times in order to thrive. It also does best if there is a high proportion of dissolved oxygen and moderate degree of water movement so external filters, powerheads, airstones, etc., should be employed as necessary.

Barilius spp. are near-exclusive surface-feeders preying mostly on flying insects in nature with some small fishes and benthic invertebrates probably taken as well but in the aquarium they're largely unfussy and will accept most foods.

The only other described member of the genus native to southwestern India is B. sharavtiensis which occurs a little further north than B. travancoria in Karanataka state. The two are easily distinguished by colour pattern in that B. travancoria possesses a darkish midlateral stripe and a poorly-defined, but normally visible, post-opercular spot, whereas B. sharavtiensis has no such mark...

As far as we know this species is yet to arrive to the international aquarium trade though it has been maintained by a handful of Indian aquarists. It's restricted geographical range and difficulty of collection mean it's unlikely to become available in numbers unless adopted by commercial breeders.

An obligate dweller of shallow, fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated headwaters and minor tributaries characterised by stretches of riffles and runs broken up by pools or cascades in some cases. Substrates are normally composed of smaller rocks, sand and gravel with jumbles of boulders, and whil...

The physical appearance of B. almorhae sensu stricto is something of a mystery. No pictures of live specimens appear in any scientific publications we've read and we've been unable to find a certified image of one anywhere meaning it's possibly never been seen in the aquarium trade. Instead the most commonly available members of the nominal species grouping seem to be B. lohachata, B. sp. 'Kosi' and B. sp. 'Teesta' (see individual notes below), plus the assorted hybrids that have appeared since the turn of the century (Grant, 2007).

Following Grant (2007) this species is included in the B. dario complex of closely-related species within the genus alongside B. striata. They're characterised by body patterning consisting of a base yellow to golden colour with 7-9 blue, green, grey or black body bars usually with thinner, lighter bars between. In some individuals the...

Adult patterning of the different geographical forms can vary considerably though young specimens all possess 5 solid dark bars on each flank and are often confused with those species exhibiting a similar juvenile pattern, particularly B. kubotai. However the horizontal dark bars on the flanks in B. kubotai typically split at quite a young age and/or develop horizontally-orientated 'peaks' whereas those in B. histrionica remain solid for longer and the central bar usually has a pale spot at the top so forms a 'y' shape.

Within the nominal species grouping suggested by Grant (2007) almost all B. rostrata sold in the hobby are B. sp. 'upper Brahmaputra' with B. rostrata sensu stricto rarely, if ever, available. Trade names include 'Gangetic loach', 'twin-banded loach' and 'ladder loach'. The defining characters of the group are "Pattern consisiting of 8-10 black to dark brown body bars that exhibit pale and numerous spots in juveniles, and in adults the bars can anast...

In a survey of fish diversity in the Bhadra River (which joins the Tunga to form the Tungabhadra) it was recorded alongside numerous other species including Puntius chola, Balitora mysorensis, and Mystus armatus. Dry season water paramaters were temperature 69.8°F/21°C, pH 7.0, hardness ~ 2.5°. The substrate was composed of bedrock, boulders, cobbles, gravel, sand and leaf litter in descending order of abundance with a maximum depth of around...

To date known only from the Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya state, northeastern India meaning its natural waters are part of the Brahmaputra River system. The type locality is given as 'Tre Rangriang, Jowai' in the description paper, but we've been unable to locate this on any map. The paratypes were collected at 'Thlu Muwi', which probably refers to the ancient stone bridge built over the Muwi stream, a place popular with tourists due to the nearby Muwi waterfalls.

This species is very peaceful indeed and can be combined with many of the most popular fish in the hobby including other small cyprinids as well as tetras, livebearers, rainbowfishes, anabantoids, catfishes and loaches. As always when selecting a compatible community of...

This species is not traded for aquaria but is occasionally exported as bycatch among shipments of other species. It differs from congeners in that the outermost row of teeth are not enlarged plus the interorbital space and cheek below eye are not scaled. Butis spp. are largely nocturnal ambush predators with cryptic...

Butis spp. are largely nocturnal ambush predators with cryptic patterning to help them blend in with their surroundings. They can also lighten and darken their body colouration to an extent, have a habit of aligning themselves with solid surfaces whether horizontal, vertical, or inverted, and often swim in an upside-down position. The genus is usually included in the family Eleotridae of which members are often referred to...

Mostly known from slow-moving, relatively shallow tributaries and minor rivers with substrates of mud, sand or gravel. Aquatic plants are only occasionally present but riparian vegetation apparently grows thickly at some localities. In the Schutunga River, part of the Mansai River drinage which is itself a tributary of the Brahmaputra in West Bengal state, In...

Endemic to the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins and thus occurs in northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Type locality is 'the Yamuna River, and northern rivers of Behar and Bengal'. The distribution of the genus as a whole is interesting because these fish occupy the area that geographically separates Indian and Southeast Asia barbs and it has been theorised that they may represent an evolutionary 'link' species...

This species was available in the aquarium hobby for a number of years prior to description and continues to be traded under various names including C. sp. 'Lal Cheng', C. sp. 'Assam', C. sp. 'blue bleheri', C. sp. 'himalayanus', and C. sp. 'red'. The names of valid, but distinct, congeners such as C. amphibeus, C. bleheri or C. stewartii have also been misapplied to it.

This species is also traded as 'golden cobra snakehead' and is available in the aquarium trade on a regular basis. It can be distinguished from other Channa species by the following combination of characters: 51-54 lateral line scales; 45-47 dorsal-fin rays; 28-30 anal-fin rays; 8-12 cheek scales; 50-52 total verte...

C. bleheri is a popular aquarium fish though it remains unclear whether collection for the ornamentaol trade is having a detrimental effect on wild populations (see 'Habitat'). It's one of several genus members to lack pelvic fins and can be further distinguished from other Channa species by the following combination of characters: sides of lower jaw with one large cycloid scale; lateral line complete with 46-50 scales; 14 pectoral-fin rays; 25 anal-fin rays; 4-11 irregular reddish orange markings on the caudal-fin

Generally considered to have an enormous natural range extending from Iran to Taiwan and Bali, with records existing from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. However there exists significant evidence to suggest that C. gachua as currently understood represents a complex of similar-looking species, and a taxonomic review of the group is clearly required.

It is currently the only valid member of the genus but it is possible that additional taxa exist, particularly in Myanmar, while a number of former species are contained within the Laubuka assemblage, to which C. cachius is closely related. Phylogenetic studies suggest the existence of a monophyletic clade consisting of the genera Devario, Chela, Laubuca, Microdevario and Microrasbora plus the genus Betadevario.

C. latius isn't often available in the trade but makes an excellent alternative to more commonly-offered members of the genus should you be lucky enough to find some. Shipments of similar-looking Indian Garra species such as G. mullya or G. gotyla sometimes contain the odd specimen. It exhibits morphological differences when compared with other members of the genus and may be assigned to a separate taxon at some point in the future.

This species is also referred to by the alternative vernacular name of 'noble gourami' and is currently the only recognised member of the genus Ctenops. It is usually regarded as being very difficult to keep whereas in reality it is quite adaptable once acclimatised but appears to react poorly to the export and shipping process meaning it is often seen on sale in poor condition and susceptible to or already infested with secondary health issues such as Oödinium, to which it appear...

In the Barak River drainage, which flows through the north-east Indian states of Nagaland and Assam before bifurcating at the Bangladesh border, symaptric species include Barilius bakeri, B. barna, B. bendelisis, B. dogarsinghi, Laubuca laubuca, Esomus danricus, Devario aequipinnatus, D. annandalei, D. devario, Rasbora daniconius, R. rasbora,...

As far as we know this species has not been bred in aquaria although Pete Liptrot and Paul Dixon of the Bolton Museum Aquarium, UK, have achieved great success with an unidentified congener. They first noticed fry from their group of 24 adults after moving the school to a dedicated set-up planted with mature Java moss and have since rewarded with regular batches of fry.

This species is among the more well-known badids in the aquarium hobby, and is a popular choice for 'nano' aquaria since it is among the smallest percoid fishes known. It is easily told apart from congeners since it is the only species in which males possess a series of seven iridescent blue vertical bars on the flanks.

This species was referred to as Dario sp. ‘Jaintia Hills’ or D. sp. ‘Bangladesh’ prior to its description. Type locality is 'India, Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Seinphoh stream at Umolong, 7 km from Jowai town, 25°31’36’’N 92°08’27’’E, 1320 m asl', and in India it has not been found elsewhere to date.

D. polota is sometimes referred to as D. quadrifasciatus (Sevastianov, 1809) but the original name of the latter, Chaetodon quadrifasciatus Sevastianov, 1809, is a junior primary homonym of the older Chaetodon quadrifasciatus Bloch & Schneider 1801, thus Coius polota Hamilton, 1822 takes precedence.

The fish appearing in the majority of earlier literature as P. arulius or 'arulius barb', and often still traded as such, is the related D. tambraparniei. Though similar the latter can be told apart from D. arulius by possession of filamentous extensions to the dorsal-fin rays in males, longer maxillary barbels measuring > ½ eye diameter, i.e., 2.4 - 4.7 % SL, and some aspects of colour pattern.

D. assimilis has been misidentified as Puntius mahecola (Valenciennes 1844) in the past but the identity of both species was resolved by Pethioyagoda and Kottelat (2005 a, 2005b). They inspected the syntypes of P. mahecola and concluded that though valid it isn't closely related to any Dawkinsia (then the Puntius filamentosus group) but is rather a smaller, silvery fish with a single dark blotch on the caudal peduncle, located entirely posterior to the anal-fin. It's wi....

There is a case, however, to suggest that D. exclamatio is not actually a distinct taxon but rather a natural hybrid between D. assimilis and a D. arulius-like fish (possibly D. rubrotinctus) which occur together at its type locality in the Kallada River at Thenmalai. The potential of hybridisation is evidenced by the somewhat intermediate colour pattern in that it possesses a (roughly) W-shaped mid-lateral blot...

Not difficult to keep in a well-maintained set-up, though we recommend aquascaping the tank to resemble a flowing stream/river with a substrate of variably-sized, water-worn rocks, sand, fine gravel and perhaps some small boulders. This can be further furnished with driftwood roots or branches, and while the majority of aquatic plants will fail to thrive in such surroundings hardy types such as Microsorum, Bolbitis or Anubias spp. can be grown attached to the décor.

Known only from Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu state, at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. Type locality is the Kodayar River drainage and it's also been collected in the Paralayar and Pamburivaikal river systems. No precise data is available but it's certainly a pelagic, riverine species with habitats likely to vary depending on locality and time o...

This species may have appeared in the aquarium trade under the misapplied names Puntius arulius or P. tambraparniei in the past, both of which are also now classified within Dawkinsia. See the relevant profiles for D. arulius and D. tambraparniei for additional information regarding that confusion, since here we concentrate on D. rubrotinctus. It was initially described by Jerdon in 1849 but placed in synonymy with P. arulius by Day (1878), where it remained for ov...

D. exclamatio should also have a sub-terminal mouth and lack dorsal-fin filaments but some specimens possess a terminal mouth and/or possess dorsal filaments, and one specimen also had black caudal-fin tips as typically seen in D. filamentosa, whereas the description states that the fin tips are only dusky and lack distinctive markings.

Described from Manipur state, northeastern India and also known from neighbouring Nagaland state. In the original description Hora refers to it as 'widely-distributed' in the region but during an assessment conducted by the IUCN in 2010 it was recorded only from a handful of localities and restricted to an area of less than 15,000 square kilometres. Most habitats lie within the Manipur river basin, including the tributary Iril and Khuga drainages, and the Di...

Type locality is 'Streamlets near Tangla, Darrang District, Assam, India', but records also exist from the Mahananda River in West Bengal state and other tributaries of the lower Brahmaputra river system, some of which originate in Bhutan. Further upstream it's been recorded in the Kalmoni riv...

Ecological studies have revealed this species to be more of a generalist than its chiefly insectivorous congeners. Aquatic and terrestrial insects form a significant proportion of the diet, but substantial amounts of filamentous algae and diatoms are consumed with water mites, fish scales, isopods, nematodes and detritus also taken occasionally. In the aquarium it's largely unfu...

This species is frequently confused with the congener D. aequipinnatus auct. but their identitities are in a state of confusion, particularly that of the latter. There are however a handful of characters which separate these two nominal species from one another. D. malabaricus possesses a moderately deep body, 35-38 scales in the lateral se...

Appears endemic to tributaries of the Bhavani river system in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu state, southern India including the Pykara, Avalanche and Kaity streams. Type locality is 'Ootacamund Lake, Pykara, Avelanche and Kaity streams, Neilgherry Hills, India', with the former now often shortened to Ooty Lake.

Found in various types of habitat but shows a marked preference for shallow, slow-moving and standing waters such as rice paddies and other temporally-inundated environments with dense aquatic vegetation.

Etroplus is the only cichlid genus native to the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka and currently comprises three species among which E. canarensis is uniquely limited to freshwater and restricted in range. Its congeners E. maculatus and E. suratensis are both euryhaline inhabiting estuaries, coastal lagoons and the lower reaches of rivers around coastlines of western and southern India plus northern Sri Lanka.

Wild examples are rarely-seen in the aquarium hobby although selectively-bred ornamental strains are widely-available for which care is identical. These are normally traded as 'red' or 'yellow' chromide and have a solid yellow-orange colour pattern with no dark elements. It exhibits a widespread sympatry with the con...

The preciose function of the secondary rostrum remains unknown; some have suggested it may have some hydro-mechanical purpose but it's perhaps more likely related to reproductiion and/or social interactions. Only males develop prominent rostra...

Gymnothorax tile

This species is traded under various vernacular names including 'ember barb', 'banded barb' and 'black spot barb', and is perhaps among the more undervalued small cyprinids in the aquarium hobby being peaceful, relatively hardy, colourful, and of interesting behaviour. It exists in a number of colour for...

Despite its unsuitability for the majority of home aquaria, this species is available in the aquarium trade on an irregular basis, and has also been marketed as 'violet-gilled shark', 'red-gilled violet shark' and 'blushing violet shark'. It appears likely that L. boga as currently recognised represents a complex of closely-related species.

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following characters: lateral line absent or perforating only 2-5 scales; pharyngeal teeth hooked; body size small, not exceeding 30 mm SL; body depth less than 25 % SL; colour pattern comprising a dark bluish lateral stripe extending from the eye to the caudal peduncle, typically, but not always, forming 2-5 circular spots along its length.

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following characters: dark longitudinal stripe on body, extending from eye to caudal peduncle; scattered tubercles present on lower jaw; 14½-16½ branched anal-fin rays; pelvic-fin long, reaching beyond anus.

Probably endemic to northern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Records from Sri Lanka, southern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia appear to represent other species. Given the distribution of L. siamensis, it seems likely that many of the fish entering the aquarium trade are this species and not L. laubuca. The two species can be distinguished b...

Sand-dwelling loaches from the families Botiidae, Cobitidae and Nemacheilidae are also suitable but proper research is essential as some can be excessively territorial or otherwise aggressive. A community based around fishes from its natural waters could include species such as Badis badis,...

This is one of the most frequently-traded members of the genus and is an excellent choice for those new to keeping loaches. It's distinguishable from congeners by a combination of characters including: relatively large adult size (to at least 80 mm SL); rounded/truncate caud...

This species is almost unheard of in the hobby with the specimen pictured above the only one we're aware of. It was imported into the United Kingdom in late 2011 as bycatch among a shipment of mastacembelid eels from northern India, and the identification was subsequently confirmed by Justin Havird, senior author of the most recent revision of the genus.

This is one of the most frequently-traded members of the group and is an excellent choice for those new to keeping loaches. It's distinguishable from congeners by a combination of characters including: rounded/truncate caudal-fin; a scaleless patch on top of the head; relatively large adult size; flanks with spotted patterning in females and a solid...

According to Kottelat (2012) L. manipurensis Arunkumar, 2000, which was described from Moreh, Manipur state, northeastern India, close to the border with Myanmar, is a syonym of L. micropogon. Havird and Page (2010) differentiate the two based on caudal-fin patterning, predorsal length and ver...

This fish may only have been exported for aquaria on a single occasion to date. It exhibits characters reminiscent of both L. alkaia and L. guntea, and has been referred to as L. cf. guntea) but is most likely an undescribed species (Havird, pers. comm.).

This species is available sporadically and makes an excellent choice for those new to keeping loaches. It's distinguishable from congeners by a combination of characters including: truncate/rounded caudal-fin; no scales on top of head; dark, squarish spots o...

However, according to the identification key of Rema Devi and Indra (2002), the two can be distinguished by a combination of factors as follows: body spots rounded in shape (vs. 'Y' or 'V' shaped in M. herrei); caudal peduncle relatively long (vs. relatively short); anal-fin not reaching base of caudal-fin (vs. anal-fin reaching base of caudal-fin); caudal peduncle with a dark band (vs. caudal peduncle with a dark spot); sub...

It's unclear if this species has ever been exported for the aquarium hobby outside of India but there may be a chance of finding the occasional specimen mixed in with shipments of M. guentheri or M. triangularis. It was earlier considered synonymous and may still be confused with M. guentheri since both species share similar body patterning consisting of rows of yellowish, dark-edged spots.

Type locality is 'Netravati River, Dharmasthala, Karnataka State, India', with the species subsequently recorded from the Kabini (aka Kabani) River basin and it may be endemic to these two drainages. While the Netraviti flows through Karnataka in its entirety before emptying into the Arabian Sea just south of the city of Mangalore, th...

This species is also referred to by the alternative vernacular name 'Batik loach' and is the most-commonly traded member of the genus at present. It's easily-distinguished from congeners by body patterning which comprises a series of pale, oblique saddle-like markings edged in black and running along the dorsal surface, plus a similar set of bars originating from the otherwise plain ventral surface.

'N.' anguilla can be told apart from other Indian members of the genus by possessing dark flank markings which are partially or completely merged to form a lateral stripe, and an almost-complete lateral line extending to the anal-fin. Kottelat (2012) states that its generic placement requires additional study hence the genus name i...

This species has been widely regarded as a member of the genus Nemacheilus since the late 1970s with the vast majority of subsequent authors considering it as such, although in the aquarium hobby it's more commonly referred to Schistura.

This species is frequently misidentified as Nemachilichthys rueppelli (Sykes, 1839) but that species was described from close to Pune in Maharashtra state, well over 500 km north of Shimoga. Further, in his description of N. rueppeli Sykes states that the body colour is 'greenish yellow' and 'the lateral line marked with short dark bars'. Narayan Rao described the colour pattern of...

This species occasionally appears in the ornamental trade, usually as 'striped hill trout' or 'banded hill trout'. It can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: lateral line complete with 40-42 scales; barbels absent; 10-13 anal-fin rays; body with 9-11 dark blue vertical bars; last dorsal-fin ray extending to caudal-fin base.

Described from 'Etok stream near Chanderkhong, southern watershed of the Naga Hills, Manipur, Assam', located within the Chindwin River basin in northern India. The Chindwin is the major tributary of the Ayeyarwady/Irrawaddy River and most of it flows within Myanmar although two of its own tributaries, the Manipur and Yu rivers, originate in the Indian states of Manipur and Nagaland.

An assortment of undescribed Oreichthys spp. from India, Myanmar and Thailand are currently traded as O. cosuatis. It can be distinguished from other described members of the genus by lacking a black blotch on the caudal peduncle, plus the following combination of characters: 2-3 perforated scales in lateral line; ½6½ between pelvic-fin origin and dorsal midline; presence of dark stripe in centre of anal-fin, forming a triangular blotch in adult individuals; dorsal-fin with whitish tip and broad, black, subdistal margin in the upper portion of the fin; 11-13 rows...

This fish is sometimes traded as Oreichthys cosuatis, O. sp. 'high fin', O. 'umangii' (a nomen nudum that has only ever been applied to an image of a fish in the book 'Ornamental Aquarium Fish of India'; K. L.Tekriwal and A. A. Rao 1999), Puntius 'arunavii' or 'neon highfin barb'. It can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: absence of a dark marking in the anal-fin (vs. presence in other species); ½7½ scales scales between pelvic-fin origin and dorsal midline (vs. ½6½ in O. cosuatis and...

This species continues to be mislabelled as O. melastigma, a name currently considered invalid by the majority of recent workers, or O. javanicus, a valid but distinct taxon. Roberts (1998) demonstrated that MClelland's description of Aplocheilus melastigmus, later renamed O. melastigma, does not correspond with any known Oryzias species from the Indian subcontinent or Myanmar since it's said to have a dark spot in the dorsal-fin and an excessively slim body, among other anomalies.

Traded under various names including 'mottled', 'eyepot', 'sand' and 'striped' loach. It's perhaps one of the better choices for those new to keeping nemacheilids being relatively hardy, peaceful and exhibiting some quirky behavioural traits. The characteristic ocellus, a dark marking at the top of the caudal peduncle that resembles an eye, is thought to have some function in predator distraction and is normally more intense in younger specimens.

This species is still considered a member of the genus Nemacheilus by some sources, but it was reclassified and placed in Acanthocobitis by Grant (2008). Acanthocobitis sinuata, generally considered a junior synonym of A. mooreh (Kottelat, 2012b), also appears distinct and differs in geographical distribution plus number of dorsal-fin rays (2-3/9-10 in A. mooreh vs. 2/8-9 in A. sinuata) and some aspects of colour pattern.

According to Kottelat (1990) the chief distinguishing characters for the genus are: possession of 9-18½ branched dorsal-fin rays; colour pattern without black basal caudal bar, but with an ocellus at upper base of caudal-fin; upper lip with or without several rows of papillae; lower lip with a broad median interruption and a widened, papillated pad on each side.

This species was considered to be a phenotype of the similar-looking P. gelius prior to its description. Following Knight (2013) it is included a group of closely-related species alongside P. gelius and P. canius, the trio being distinguished from other members of the genus Pethia by the following combination of characters: lateral line incomplete with 3-4 por...

This species' identity was settled and a neotype designated by Knight (2013), with its validity having been discussed since the late 19th century. P. canius and the closely-related P. gelius were both described by Hamilton (1822) and share the type locality of 'northeastern Bengal'. Although Hamilton did not provide drawings M'Clelland (1839) included colour illustrations depicting two quite different-looking species.

Generally considered one of the hardiest small cyprinids available in the aquarium hobby, P. conchonius is an excellent choice for the beginner. Selective breeding has produced various ornamental strains including long-finned, 'veil-tail', 'super red', 'neon', and 'golden' forms. It's also been hybridised with some congeners although the offspring of such experiments are apparently infertile. It was formerly included in th...

This species' identity was settled and a neotype designated by Knight (2013) who also revalidated the congener P. canius (Hamilton, 1822) and described the closely-related P. aurea. These three had previously been considered to represent geographic forms of P. gelius, albeit on a tentative basis, with the validity of P. canius having been discussed since the late 19th century.

Within this assemblage P. manipurensis is most similar to 'P.' meingangbii and P. padamya by virtue of the fact that males in all three possess orange-red pigmentation on the flanks and caudal-fin. It can be told apart most easily by the fact it possesses a relatively small, spot-like humeral marking, vs. a vertically-elongated, relatively large humeral marking in both the other species.

At one locality in the Kalindhi drainage the water was clear, 1 m at its deepest point and flowing either side of a small check dam, below which the flow was stronger though still not particularly fast. The substrate was composed of rocks and cobbles with a thick layer of fine silt and sand above the dam. There were no aquatic plants but marginal grasses and shrubs were growing to the margins with some submerged roots protruding into the water.

In P. phutonio the flank markings comprise two black, vertically-orientated blotches, one posterior to the operculum and the other on the caudal peduncle, and within the P. conchonius group this patterning is shared with P. bandula, P. cumingii, P. didi, P. meingangbii, P. padamya, and P. tiantian. It can be told apart from these by the following combination of characters: smaller adult size of 25 - 30 mm vs. at least 35 - 40 mm; minute maxillary barbels; incomplete lateral line with ab...

Described from Pookode Lake in Wayanad district, Kerala state, southern India and possibly endemic there although some unconfirmed records exist from within the surrounding Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Pookode is a small freshwater lake surrounded by forest with a surface area of around 2 km² and is the source of the Panamaram River, a tributary within the much larger Kabani system. Its maximum depth is around 6.5 metres and in marginal areas dense patches of water lilies can be found.

This species is poorly-known in the aquarium hobby and has a confusing taxonomic history having been considered both synonymous with or a subspecies of the congener P. ticto in the past. It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: lateral line complete with 27 scales (following Day); body with two dark blotches; anterior spot one scale row below lateral line; dorsal-fin with rows of spots.

This species is widely referred to and traded as the congener 'Puntius' narayani (Hora, 1937). The precise identity of the latter is in doubt, however, plus P. setnai possesses a serrated dorsal-fin spine whereas 'P.' It was formerly included in the Puntius conchonius 'group' of closely-related species alongside P. ater, P. bandula, P. conchonius, P. cumingii, P. erythromycter,...

A benthopelagic fish mostly recorded from streams and minor tributaries at relatively high altitudes of more than 1200 metres AMSL with cool, clear, well-oxygenated water and substrates of bedrock, boulders, cobbles, and gravel. Aquatic plants aren't usually present though riparian vegetation may be well-developed. It's also present in some ponds and small lakes, including some stagnant water bodies with muddy substrates.

This species is confused with P. ticto in much of the available literature and is sometimes listed as a synonym of it. Although some populations of the two species possess a similar colour pattern (there are reports of a P. ticto variant from the south of West Bengal state in India with a red, black-flecked dorsal-fin, for example) they do not occur in the same waters in nature and can be distinguished by examining the lateral line. This is complete in...

Apparently most abundant in shallow streams and minor tributaries, sometimes at relatively high altitudes, and apparently shows a preference for substrates of mud or silt. Given the extent of its range it would seem sensible to assume that it inhabits various habitat-types which also vary in water depth, flow, and turbidity depending on the time of year.

This species is most easily told apart from its only congener P. dayi by lacking (vs. possessing) two dark, irregular lateral stripes on the head and body, and a shorter caudal-fin in males. The results of phylogenetic analyses by Rüber et al. (2006) suggest that Pseudosphromenus is most closely-related to Malpulutta in an evolutionary sense.

Engmann (1909) mentions that the type series was collected from 'Malakka' but this is considered an error which probably should have read 'Kerala' since this species is known only from coastal drainages of the Western Ghats mountains in southern Kerala state, India.

Generally very peaceful making it an ideal resident of the well-researched community tank. As it places no special demands in terms of water chemistry it can be combined with many of the most popular fish in the hobby including other small cyprinids as well as tetras, livebearers, rainbowfishes, anabantoids, catfishes and loaches. It's a schooling species by nature, and at least 6-10 specimens should be purchased. Maintaining it in such...

P. chola was retained in Puntius sensu stricto, of which members are defined by the following combination of characters: adult size usually less than 120 mm SL; maxillary barbels absent or present; rostral barbels absent; 3-4 unbranched and 8 branched dorsal-fin rays; 3 unbranched and 5 branched anal-fin rays; last unbranched dorsal-fin ray weak or strong and unserrated; lateral line complete with 22-28 pored body scales...

Probably a micropredator feeding on small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton in nature. In the aquarium it should accept dried foods of a suitable size but should not be fed these exclusively. Daily meals of small live and frozen fare such as Daphnia, Artemia, Moina, etc., along with good quality flakes and granules will result in the best colouration and encourage the fish to come into breeding condition.

This species has a chaotic taxonomic history with certain issues still to be resolved. While the name P. mahecola was misapplied to members of the genus Dawkinsia for over a century the fish itself has been widely misidentified as the congener P. amphibius (Valenciennes 1842). Its identity was partially resolved by Pethiyagoda and Kottelat (2005b) who demonstrated that though valid P. mahecola is not a Dawkinsia spp. but rather a smaller, relatively plain species with a single dark blotc...

The hill streams in which this fish can be found are generally shaded by the forest canopy and dense marginal vegetation. Substrates are typically composed of boulders, smaller stones, sand or gravel with submerged tree roots around the margins and quieter areas in which fallen branches and leaf litter collect. Other fish species occurring in the Tunga...

This species is almost unheard of in the aquarium hobby outside of India but is maintained by some private collectors. It's distinguished from similar species by possessing a single pair of maxillary barbels, a relatively elongate body, and distinctive black spot above the anterior anal-fin base. The genus Puntius was for a number of years viewed as a polyphyletic catc...

This species is uncommon in the aquarium trade which is a little surprising given its huge natural range. Different populations can vary in colour pattern to an extent though all share the defining aspects given by Hamilton, comprising a diffuse yellow-golden marking on the operculum plus a dark spot on the caudal peduncle. The latter is usually surrounded by a variably-sized golden-yellow margin, and the dorsal-fin often contains irregular dark spots and streaks, these sometimes forming a longitudinal band.

It can be told apart from similar-looking congeners such as P. crescentus and P. muzaffarpurensis by the following combination of characters: barbels absent; lateral line incomplete with up to 5 pored scales; 20-22 lateral line scales; 8 predorsal scales; dorsal-fin with a vertically-orientated black streak and a black tip with orange markings; a dark spot at the base of the caudal peduncle.

S. chalakkudiensis can be told apart from S. denisonii by possession of an inferior mouth (vs. subterminal) and presence of a black marking in the dorsal-fin (vs. absence), and the scarlet body stripe being duller and terminating beneath or anterior to the dorsal-fin origin (vs. brighter and terminating beneath the centre of the dorsal-fin).

This species has become an extremely popular aquarium fish since it first appeared in the ornamental trade during the late 1990s, and it has been sold under various names including 'Denison's barb', 'denisoni barb', 'Denison's flying fox', 'rose line shark', 'bleeding-eye barb', 'red flash barb', and 'Indian flasher barb'. In India it is known locally as 'Miss Kerala' and 'Chorai Kanni' ( literally 'bleeding eyes').

Type locality is 'India: Mizoram: Muthi River, a tributary of Tuirial River in vicinity of Zemabawk, Aizawl, 23°44' 54" N 92°45'27" E', and to date this species is known only from the Muthi system. The Muthi is an affluent of the Tuirial River which is itself a tributary of the Barak watershed. The Barak is one of the great rivers of southern Assam and forms part of the Surma-Meghna River System.

This species is feisty and largely unsuitable for the general community aquarium. This is not to say it must be kept alone, rather that tankmates must be selected with care and proper research. Slow-moving or long-finned species should certainly be omitted because they're likely to struggle with the necessary level of water movement and may end up with nipped fins.

This species is not a well-known aquarium fish but is maintained by a number of Indian enthusiasts. It can be told apart from related species by the following combination of characters as per Sreekantha et al. (2006): pectoral-fin rays 10; absence of black spot at base of dorsal-fin; presence of rows of spots on caudal-fin; lateral line incomplete; caudal-fin slightly emarginate; 11-14 vertical bars on the body.

This species is seen in the aquarium trade on a relatively frequent basis and is sometimes sold as 'bicolor loach' in the United States. It can be distinguished from congeners by its unique colour pattern comprising 9-10 thin, yellowish bars on a dark background in the upper part of the body, and plain whitish colouration in the lower portion.

The identity of this fish is unclear but it has been traded as Schistura scaturigina M'Clelland, 1839 but does not appear to be that species based on its original description plus Vishwanath and Laisram (2001). The latter describe S. scaturigina as possessing a yellowish-white body with 12 transverse, triangu...

This species has been collected for the aquarium hobby, albeit in small numbers at time of writing, but its identity is unclear. Though obtained from close to the type local...

This species is traded on a fairly regular basis and is similar in appearance to some congeners, most notably S. bella, S. mahnerti, S. multifasciata, S. poculi, S. reticulata, S. longa, S. conirostris and S. udomritthiruji. This assemblage has been referred to as the Schistura multifasciata 'group', and members share a...

Interestingly some observations suggest that the character of the highest-ranked, or alpha, fish appears to affect that of the whole group though it must be said that scientific studies of botiid loach behaviour are virtually non-existent. It certainly seems that they display a degree of 'personality' with some specimens being naturally bolder/more aggressive than others. The alpha is normally the largest specimen within the group and often female. Sound also appears to be an important factor in communication since these loaches are able...

This species is readily available in the aquarium trade and is a good subject for those new to the hobby given its peaceable nature and relative adaptability in terms of water chemistry. It's sold under various names including A number of selectively-bred ornamental strains have also been produced including 'red', 'sunset', and 'golden', for which care is identical to the natural form.

X. cancila is often seen referred to as 'freshwater garfish', and although it does superficially resemble the true gars of the family Lepisosteidae, it's actually a member of the Belonidae, or needlefishes, the majority of which are marine or estuarine in existence. There are currently just two species in the genus although the probable existence of a third member has been noted by Roberts (1989) among oth...

Wild swordtails are a fairly basic green colur. However the vast majority of swordtails available in the hobby today are hybrids of X.helleri with X.maculatus or X.variatus. There are a huge number of selectively-bred varieties available, including wagtail, lyretail, tuxedo, albino, neon, red, green and hi-fin. Swordtails may undergo what appears to be a change in sex. In young fish this may simply be late development. However some adult females develop male characteristics which is thought ...

This species is relatively common in the aquarium hobby but contrary to popular belief is not venomous in any way. Its dorsal and opercular spines can pierce the skin, however, meaning extreme caution is necessary when netting it or performing aquarium maintenance. The genus Allenbatrachus was erected in 1997 to accom...

This species isn't especially popular in the aquarium trade but is undoubtedly interesting despite its lack of colour. In addition to its survival ability in the absence of water it's also capable of producing audible sounds though the purpose of these has not been fully-studied. Naturally-occurring xanthic and albino forms have also been recorded. There is considerable confusion as to the taxonomic status of the two species currently occupying this genus, with ichthyologists widely...

This species is clearly unsuitable for the home aquarium given its eventual size and natural behaviour, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with the facilities required to house it long-term. The grouping currently contains four species but is in urgent need of review with a number of additional taxa thought to exist and B. yarrelli possibly representing a synonym of B. bagarius.

Type locality is the 'river below Calcutta' which corresponds to the western side of the Ganges River delta south of Kolkata, West Bengal state, with reports as to its wider distribution varying significantly. It's sometimes said to be present throughout India plus both mainland and maritime southeast Asia, but is more likely restricted to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and possibly Myanmar.

Has been observed to inhabit vertical burrows around the margins of wetlands which typically become dry during winter months. These burrows are most often around a metre dee...

This species was considered synonymous with the Indochinese congener C. micropeltes for over a century before being revalidated in 2011. Like in C. micropeltes colour pattern varies depending on the age of the fish. Juveniles possess two longitudinal black stripes on the head and body with the are...

This species is also referred to as 'giant', 'great', 'cobra', or 'Indian' snakehead. Although currently-considered to be distributed throughout much of southern Asia it is widely-accepted to represent a complex of related species in need of additional research. A number of geographical variants exhibiting diffe...

Based on its colour pattern and limited details regarding its natural habitat this species may be adapted to dwelling between and under rocks. Alipurduar lies in the moist tropical region of floodplains and foothills of the eastern Himalayas commonly referred to as the Dooars or Duars, traditionally considered the gateway to Bhutan.