Osteochilus

The hard-lipped barb, Osteochilus hasseltii, is a cyprinid with an enormous range from Myanmar to Vietnam and south to Borneo, Sumatra and Java. Reaching 32 cm, it inhabits slow-moving tributaries and large streams with soft substrates, and migrates into inundated forest to feed and spawn at the onset of the rainy season. A caudal spot, 15-18 dorsal-fin rays and orange flecking on the flanks help identify it.

Osteochilus nashii is a cyprinid endemic to India, where it appears restricted to Karnataka and Kerala in the southwest. Predominantly a riverine fish, it lives in clear, well-oxygenated running water and hill streams over boulders, bedrock and smaller stones. Reaching around 18 cm, it is very scarce in the trade and most likely to turn up as a contaminant among imports of other Indian species.