Systematic position
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Siluriformes (Catfishes)
Family: Schilbeidae (Schilbid catfishes)
Genus: Ailia
Species: A. coila
Synonyms
Acanthonotus hardwickii Gray, 1830
Ailia affinis Günther, 1864
Ailia bengalensis (Gray, 1830)
Malapterurus coila Hamilton, 1822
Malapterus bengalensis Gray, 1830
Malapterus cuvieri (Gray, 1830)
Silurus cuvieri Gray, 1830
Common/local names
English: Gangetic ailia
Bangladesh: Kajuli (কাজুলি) and Baspata (বাঁশপাতা).
India: Vella-kalada, Bunsputta, Puttuli, Batansi, Minti, Basanuti, Sutari, kadali, Bapati, Kojoli, Kondoli, Kajri and Kajuli-vacha (Talwar and Jhingran, 594).
Distributions: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Nepal (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Conservation status: Not threatened in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh, 2000).
Morphology: Body elongated and deeply compressed. Mouth sub-inferior. Upper jaw longer than lower jaw. Barbels well developed and 4 pairs. Dorsal fin absent and a small adipose fin present. Pectoral fins well developed and pelvic fins small. Pectoral spine slender and serrated. Anal fin large. Caudal fin forked and lower lobe longer than upper. Body silvery or whitish in color. Head 13% SL and 11.5% TL. Height 26.1% SL and 23.1% TL. Eye 33.3% HL (Galib, 2008).
Fin formula: D. 0; P1. 1/14; P2. 6; A. 67-75(Rahman, 1989).
Maximum lengths: Maximum length reported, 15.4 cm (Rahman, 2005) and 15.0 cm (Galib, 2008).
Habitat and niche: According to Rahman (2005), this fish is found in large rivers and connected waters. It takes feed from two layers(surface and middle) of water body and lives in shoals. Recorded from Chalan Beel of Bangladesh (Galib et al., 2009).
Breeding: Breeds in monsoon season.
Marketing status: Used as food fish in Bangladesh and marketed in fresh condition (Galib, 2008).
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REFERENCES
Galib SM, Samad MA, Mohsin ABM, Flowra FA and Alam MT (2009) Present Status of Fishes in the Chalan Beel- the Largest Beel (Wetland) of Bangladesh, Int. J. Ani. Fish. Sci. 2(3): 214-218.
Galib SM (2008) A Study on Fish Diversity and Fishing Gears of Chalan Beel with Reference to Preservation of Catches, Honors dissertation submitted to the Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, 172 pp.
Gray JE (1830) Illustrations of Indian zoology; chiefly selected from the collection of Major-General Hardwicke, F.R.S., …. 20 parts in 2 vols. Illustrations of Indian zoology; chiefly selected from the collection of Major-General Hardwicke, F.R.S., …. Pls. 1-202.
Günther A (1864) Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Physostomi, containing the families Siluridae, Characinidae, Haplochitonidae, Sternoptychidae, Scopelidae, Stomiatidae in the collection of the British Museum. Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. v. 5: i-xxii + 1-455.
Hamilton F (1822) An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches. Edinburgh & London. An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches.: i-vii + 1-405, Pls. 1-39.
IUCN Bangladesh (2000) Red book of threatened fishes of Bangladesh, IUCN- The world conservation union. xii+116 pp.
Rahman AKA (1989) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 1st edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, p. 180.
Rahman AKA (2005) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2nd edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, pp. xviii -263.
Talwar PK and Jhingran AG (1991) Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries, Vol. 2, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi-Calcutta, p. 594.
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