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Like most badids this species is poorly documented and has yet to find significant popularity in the aquarium hobby. It is arguably the most attractive member of the genus and we hope to see it more widely available; the fish in our images representing what is thought to be the only batch exported from Myanmar to date. It is most closely related...

This species is essentially unknown in the hobby at time of writing. It was discovered by German aquarist Horst Linke in early 2010 and before official description was known as B. sp. ‘East Myanmar’ (‘Ost Myanmar’ in Germany). It can be differentiated from other members of the genu...

Like most badids this species is poorly documented and has yet to find significant popularity in the aquarium hobby, though given its restricted natural distribution it is unlikely ever to be available in large numbers. Within the genus it is most easily confused with B. ruber and B. siamensis but both these species have rows of dark spot-like markings on the flanks which are lacking in B. khwae. The three also differ in the shape of the dark marking on the caudal peduncle; in B. ruber it is rel...

Like most badids B. kyar is poorly documented in aquarium literature and has yet to find significant popularity in the hobby, though given its restricted natural distribution it is unlikely ever to be available in large numbers. The fish in our image is a specimen included in the only batch of this species known to have been exported to date. This species has a very slender body shape (which may be an adaptation to its habitat) and in this respect is similar to B. pyema. However B. kyar possesse...

Like most badids B. pyema is poorly documented in aquarium literature and has yet to find significant popularity in the hobby, though given its restricted natural distribution it is unlikely ever to be available in large numbers and has only been collected on three occasions to date. It has a very slender body shape, likely an adaptation to its habitat, and in this respect is similar to B. kyar. However B. kyar possesses relatively solid dark, uniform vertical bars on the flanks whereas in B. p...

B. ruber is among the better known Badis species in the aquarium hobby with trade names including 'Burmese badis' and 'red badis'. It was referred as Badis badis burmicanus for a number of years and will be seen labelled as such in older literature. Among congeners it is most easily confused with...

Like most badids this species is poorly documented and has yet to find significant popularity in the aquarium hobby; to date it has only been exported in very limited numbers. It was for a number of years known as Badis badis siamensis and will be seen labelled as such in older literature. Within the genus it is most easily confused with B. khwae and B. ruber but can be identified by the flank patterning which consists of rows of horizontally-arranged dark markings. In B. ruber these appear mor...

This undescribed species has been available in the aquarium hobby since 2006. It may also be seen on sale with the name Badis sp. 'flame dot' in reference to the body scales which in males possess a bright red centre or B. sp. 'red' as it appeared in a 2007 German magazine article. It appears to belong to the B. corycaeus group of species (see below). Since the species Badis singenensis was...

This fish has yet to appear in the aquatic trade and only been exported in extremely limited numbers to date. Specimens collected from the Wahumiam River close to the settlement of Shella Bholaganj by Peter Cottle and Andrew Rao in 2006 were initially considered an undescribed species and referred to as B. sp.'Wahumiam River' or B. sp. 'terracotta', but later found to match B. tuivaiei in terms of morphology, meristics, etc. (S. van der Voort, pers. comm.).

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.

Known from the from the Red River in northern Vietnam and Yunnan province, southern China, plus the Thái Bình, Sông Kỳ Cùng, Mã and Lam rivers in Vietnam and possibly the Nam Xam and Nam Ma drainages in Laos. Type locality is 'Market in Hanoi, Vietnam'.

The genus Bagarius is distinguished from all other genera in the putative subfamily Sisoridae by having markedly heterodont teeth in the lower jaw. Teeth are present in two or three outer rows of relatively numerous, close-set conical teeth, and one or two inner rows of less numerous, widely separated, and much larger conical teeth (vs. dentition of the lower jaw consisting of only small conical teeth, or a roughened bony plate).

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.

The vernacular name 'lancer' is derived from the extended dorsal spine possessed by several members of the genus, which currently contains 7 species. Among them B. macracanthus is most similar to B. majusculus and B. vaillantii but can be told apart from the former by possession of shorter pectoral spines (13.3 - 16.2% SL vs. 15.8 - 20.7%), shorter adipose fin (46.0 - 58.0% SL vs. 38.8 - 45.8%), less deep caudal peduncle (7.1 - 7.5% SL vs. 5.6-7.0%) and larger adult size. From B. vaillantii it di...

The vernacular name 'lancer' is derived from the extended dorsal spine possessed by several members of the genus, which currently contains 7 species. Among them B. majusculus is most similar to B. macracanthus and B. vaillantii but can be told apart from both by possession of longer pectoral-fin spines (length 15.8 - 20.7 % SL vs. 11.5 - 16.2 %), from the former by possession of a larger adipose fi...

The vernacular name 'lancer' is derived from the extended dorsal spine possessed by several members of the genus, which currently contains 7 species. B. obscurus is diagnosable from congerners by the following combination of characters: mouth opening relatively small and narrow; oral dentition significantly reduced; dorsal-fin spi...

May also be seen on sale under the trade names 'Bala shark' or 'tricolor shark minnow' and perhaps among the most commonly-encountered ornamental fish species. It is unfortunate that the vast majority of those traded are juveniles and tend to come supplied with little to no information provided regarding their potential size and requirements, a fairly ironic situation given the apparently precarious status of wild populations.

An obligate dweller of swiftly-flowing streams and headwaters containing clear, oxygen-saturated water. It often inhabits riffles and runs and is likely to show a preference for shallower zones. Substrates are generally composed of gravel, rocks, boulders or bedrock carpeted with a rich biofilm formed by algae and other micro-organisms. Juveniles are often found in slower-moving stretches with gravel substrate and submerged tree roots. In both cases patches of aquatic plants are only occasionally pres...

Known with certainty from the Irrawaddy River system in Manipur state, India, and Myanmar, and the Salween watershed in eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand. Records from the Red River basin in Vietnam appear questionable. Type locality is 'Burma: Myitkyina District: Mali Hka basin: Phungin Hka;'.

B. aurotaeniatus is uncommon in the aquarium trade. Following Kottelat (1998) it has a single pair of maxillary barbels, a complete lateral line and colour pattern usually comprising four small, vertically-orientated black markings on the flanks (located above anterior lateral line origin, below dorsal-fin origin, below posterior end of dorsal-fin base and on caudal peduncle, respectively) and one on the dorsal surface, below dorsal-fin origin.