Among other Garra species from Southeast Asia and China, G. orientalis is most similar to G. salweenica and G. fuliginosa in that all three possess a roughly triangular, trilobed proboscis on the snout, the anterior margin of which is densely tuberculated, and the inferior margin not in contact with the depressed rostral surface, i.e., the proboscis projects forwards.

This species can be distinguished from congeners inhabiting the Red River basin in Yunnan province, China, by the following combination of characters: no barbels; 46-52 lateral line scales; 16 circumpeduncular scales; pharyngeal teeth in 3 rows, 2.4.5-5.4.2; snout rounded, no secondary rostrum, no longitudinal…

Superficially similar to L. tientainensis but according to the formal description can be separated by a combination of characters including: more deeply-forked caudal-fin (shortest central rays fit 2.6-2.9 times in the outer rays vs. 1.7-2.5 times); significantly smaller eye (fits 26 times in head length vs. 10 times); caudal-fin with 1-2 dark bands at lateral edges v…

This species is traded under various names including ‘Chinese banded shark’, ‘Chinese sucker’, ‘freshwater batfish’, ‘high-fin banded loach’, etc. It’s currently illegal to import or own privately in several countries, including the UK, but continues to be available with only the attractive juvenile form traded, and almost always without information regarding adult size of almost a metre or potential lifepan of 25 years+.

Myxocyprinus is a monotypic genus and the only Asian representative of the family Cato…