Nepal

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...

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.

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.

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...

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.

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,...

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...

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.

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.

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 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...

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 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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

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 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.

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.

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...

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.

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...

This species' name has been widely misapplied in the aquarium trade and hobbyist literature, most often in reference to the Southeast Asian species C. ornata, but unlike its relative is in fact very rarely exported for ornamental purposes although its is fished and cultured for food in India. It can be told apart from C. ornata by possessing fe...

Despite being a wholly unsuitable aquarium subject, C. idella is often traded as such, with an albino form having been developed specifically for the ornamental market. Individuals which have outgrown their aquarium or pond should never be released into natural waters, either, since this species has proven capable of causing serious environmental damage under a wide range of climatic conditions.

This species is also referred to as 'Asian knifefish' or 'ghost knifefish' in the aquarium trade in the aquarium trade but arguably has no place in the ornamental hobby given its adult size and specialised requirements. It is sometimes confused with the African species Xenomystus nigri but is easily told apart by its larger adult size and presence (vs. absence) of a dorsal fin.

Type locality is 'Eastern Himalayas; small streams below Darjeeling and Sikkim, India', and this species is only known with certainty from upland parts of Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal states in northern India. Records from Nepal apparently require confirmation while it may also occur in Bhutan.

This species can be identified by colour pattern comprising a brownish dorsal surface, yellowish flanks and abdomen, and a black to bluish lateral stripe extending from the eye to the caudal-fin base.

This species is extremely widespread and has been recorded from Pakistan, Nepal, most of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and southern China. Type locality is 'Bengal and western provinces, India'.

There is considerable confusion surrounding the identity of B. bagarius with its name having been widely applied to a relatively small species that is said to reach only 200 mm SL and considered to be common in northern India and much of Indochina.