Synonyms:
Cyprinus bata Hamilton, 1822
Labeo bata Day, 1878
Common name: Bata labeo
Local name: Bata, Bhangon bata
Taxonomy position:
Phylum- Chordata
Class-Oesteichthyes
Order- Cypriniformes
Family- Cyprinidae
Genus- Labeo
Fin formula:
D. 11 (2/9); P1. 16-17; P2. 9(1/8); A. 7(2/5). (Rahman, 2005)
Description of the species:
Body is elongate. Its dorsal profile is more convex than the ventral. Snout slightly projecting beyond mouth, often studded with pores (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991). A pair of small maxillary barbells is hidden inside the labial fold. No Cartilaginous support to lips. Dorsal originates midway between snout tip and anterior base of anal. Pelvics originate slightly nearer to snout tip than to caudal base (Rahman, 1989). Bluish or darkish on upper half, silvery below, opercle light orange.
Habit and Habitat:
Its food comprises crustaceans and insect larvae in early stages (Mookerjee et. al., 1946). This fish is available throughout Bangladesh. Ponds, rivers, rivulets are its main habitats (Bhuiyan, 1964).
Economic importance:
It is well known as a testy and good fish in the market. This is the most important and available fish of the landed fish from culture media such as ponds, beels etc. whereas it is listed as a threatened species by IUCN Bangladesh (2000).
References:
Bhuiyan, A. L. 1964. Fishes of Dacca. Asiatic Society of Pakistan, Dacca. 148 pp.
Day, F. 1878. Fishes of India, being a natural history of fishes known to inhabit the seas and freshwaters of India, Burma and Ceylon. William Dawson & Sons Ltd., London, Vol. I: p 542.
Hamilton, F., 1822. An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches, Edinburgh & London, Fishes Ganges, p 283.
IUCN Bangladesh. 2000. Red Book of Threatened Fishes of Bangladesh. IUCN- The World Conservation Union. xii+116 pp.
Mookerjee, H. K., Sen Gupta, S. N. and Roy Choudhury, D. N. 1946. Food and its percentage composition of the common adult food fishes of Bengal. Sci. & Cult. Calcutta. 12 (7): 247.
Rahman, A.K.A. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh. The Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000. p 119.
Rahman, A.K.A. 2005. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh (Second edition). The Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000. 394 pp.
Talwar, P. K. and Jhingran, A. G., 1991. Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries. Volume 1. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, Calcutta. p 199.
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