River loach, Schistura sikmaiensis (Hora, 1921)

Systematic position
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Cypriniformes (Carps)
Family: Balitoridae (River loaches)
Subfamily: Nemacheilinae
Genus: Schistura
Species: S. sikmaiensis

Synonyms
Nemacheilus sikmaiensis Hora, 1921
Noemacheilus sikmaiensis (Hora, 1921)

Common/local name
English: River loach

Distributions: Bangladesh, India and Myanmar (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).

Conservation status: Data deficient in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh, 2000).

Morphology: Body elongate and dorsal profile slightly arched than ventral profile. A small semi-circular mouth with fleshy lips and lower lip interrupted in middle and slightly fringed. Barbels 3 pairs. Minute scales, embedded in skins and scattered all over the body except ventral surface. Incomplete lateral line. Caudal deeply forked. Scally appendage present on pelvic fin.

10 black rings around body and separated by narrow white (Rahman, 1989 and 2005). A black bar present at the caudal base and a black spot at the base of first few dorsal rays (Rahman, 1989 and 2005).

Fin formula:
D. 9 (I/8); P1. 11 (1/10); P2. 6 (1/5); A. 7 (2/5) (Rahman, 1989 and 2005)
D ii 8; A ii 5; P i 10-11; V i 7 (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991)

Maximum lengths: 5.1 cm TL (Rahman, 1989 and 2005) and 2.7 cm SL (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).

Habitats: Inhibits clear and swift streams with rocky bottoms (Rahman, 1989 and 2005).

Fishery info: Of no interest to fisheries (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).

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REFERENCES

Hora SL (1921) Fish and fisheries of Manipur with some observations on those of the Naga Hills. Records of the Indian Museum (Calcutta) 22(3/19): 165-214, Pls. 9-12.

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, pp. 149-150.

Rahman AKA (2005) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2^nd edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, pp. 169-171.

Talwar PK and Jhingran AG (1991) Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries, Vol. 1, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi-Calcutta, pp. 504-505.

 

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