Indus

The zipper loach, Paracanthocobitis botia, is a nemacheilid loach from the Brahmaputra River in Assam, northeastern India. It was long thought to range from Pakistan to western Thailand, and several populations once included under the name are now treated as separate species. Relatively hardy and peaceful, it is one of the better choices for those new to nemacheilids, and its dark, eye-like ocellus at the top of the caudal peduncle is normally more intense in younger fish.

The onespot barb, Puntius terio, is a cyprinid widely distributed from Pakistan through northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Its range covers parts of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages, where it apparently prefers stiller waters over mud or silt. Populations vary in colour pattern to an extent, but all share a diffuse yellow-golden marking on the operculum and a dark spot on the caudal peduncle.

The greenstripe barb, Puntius vittatus, is a small cyprinid widely distributed in India, with further populations in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sometimes called the 'kooli barb', it lacks barbels and has a vertical black streak and an orange-marked black tip on the dorsal fin. It most commonly occurs in lowland streams, pools, irrigation channels and rice paddies over mud or silt, and is not an especially popular aquarium fish despite its wide range.

The goonch, Bagarius yarrelli, is a very large sisorid catfish recorded from the Indus in Pakistan east through Indochina to Sumatra and Borneo. Also known as the 'giant devil catfish' and 'sand shark', it reaches 1300 to 2000 mm and is fished for food across much of its range. That wide distribution appears doubtful, and Indian and Southeast Asian populations may prove not to be conspecific. It lives among boulders in the fast, turbulent rapids of large rivers.

The bullseye snakehead, Channa marulius, is a large snakehead recorded from Pakistan across southern Asia to southern China, Laos and Vietnam. Also called the 'giant', 'cobra' or 'Indian' snakehead, it is widely accepted to represent a complex of related species in need of further research. Reports of 120-180 cm remain to be proven, with 500-600 mm a more common adult size, and it is suitable only for public installations or the very largest private aquaria.

The Indian featherback, Chitala chitala, is a very large notopterid probably restricted to Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Its name has been widely misapplied in the trade, most often to the Southeast Asian C. ornata, but it is very rarely exported for aquaria and is fished and cultured for food in India. Growing to 1220 mm SL, it has non-ocellated black spots above the anal fin and is the only Chitala normally showing gold or silver bars on the back.

The bronze featherback, Notopterus notopterus, is an air-breathing notopterid from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Also called 'Asian knifefish' or 'ghost knifefish' in the trade, it grows to 600 mm and arguably has no place in the ornamental hobby given its adult size and specialised requirements. The single species in Notopterus is likely to represent a complex of closely-related species.

Gymnostomus ariza is a cyprinid widely distributed from the Indus basin in Pakistan through India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Growing to around 300 mm SL, it inhabits flowing streams and tributaries with clear water. It has a confusing taxonomic history, having been placed in Bangana, Cirrhinus and Labeo in recent years. It breeds in temporarily-inundated zones in the wet season and is also produced commercially for food.

The orangefin labeo, Labeo calbasu, is a large cyprinid from Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and southern China. Growing to 800 mm, it is an important food and game fish across its native range and is not a suitable subject for the home aquarium. It is known as 'black rohu' in parts of India and Bangladesh, and inhabits the lower reaches of major rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

Bagarius bagarius is a sisorid catfish with a wide but disjointed recorded range, from the Indus in Pakistan east to the Mekong and Malay Peninsula. Its identity is confused: the name has been widely applied to a small fish said to reach only 200 mm SL, but it may be the only Bagarius in the Indian subcontinent, in which case it can reach 2 metres. It is mostly collected from fast, turbulent rapids in larger rivers, where it shelters among boulders, and is best kept alone.