Tungabhadra

The zebra loach, Botia striata, is a botiid loach from the Krishna River system in southern India, described from the Tunga River in Karnataka. Its yellow to golden body with blue, green, grey or black bars and typically red mouthparts make it one of the most easily recognised in the genus, although the bars break up entirely in some specimens. Given its adult size and peaceable nature it is perhaps the best choice of Botia for the general community.

Dawkinsia arulius is a cyprinid from Karnataka, southwestern India, apparently now restricted to the upper Cauvery and the Tungabhadra headwaters. Adults have three large, diffuse dark markings on the body. It appears extirpated at its type locality, most likely because of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam upstream, and the fish traded as 'arulius barb' is often the related D. tambraparniei, in which males have filamentous dorsal-fin rays.

The orange chromide, Pseudetroplus maculatus, is a euryhaline cichlid native to peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It mostly inhabits brackish estuaries, coastal lagoons and the lower reaches of rivers, and can be kept in fresh or brackish water so long as acidic conditions are avoided. Wild examples are rarely seen in the hobby, where selectively bred strains traded as 'red' or 'yellow' chromide are widely available.

The freshwater needlefish, Xenentodon cancila, is a belonid from Pakistan east through India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Often called 'freshwater garfish', it only superficially resembles the true gars, and most of its relatives in the Belonidae are marine or estuarine. A near-exclusive inhabitant of the upper water column, it is surprisingly peaceful with anything too large to swallow and is best kept in numbers of four or more, in a tank of 180 ∗ 60 cm or more.

The grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, is a large cyprinid native to the Amur River system in eastern Russia and northeastern China. Adults typically reach 800 to 1200 mm, making it a wholly unsuitable aquarium subject, though an albino form is traded. Widely introduced for aquaculture and weed control, it has caused serious damage to natural waters, and unwanted fish should never be released.

The porthole bagrid, Hemibagrus punctatus, is a catfish known only from the Cauvery (Kaveri) river system in southern India. The IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered (possibly extinct), and at its confirmed localities in the Kabini, Bhadra and Moyar systems it was last collected in 1998 or earlier. It has been available only very occasionally in the aquarium trade, and its flanks carry dark spots arranged in vertical columns.

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.