Joined: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 4259 Location: Chennai
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Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 12:09 pm Post subject: Indian Hillstream loaches
Hi,
Thought I would initiate a discussion on the Indian Hillstream loaches. The objective of the thread is to identify the fishes, share biotope pics, understand requirements and share first hand experiences in caring for these fishes.
Key to Genera 1. Gill opening small and situated entirely above base of pectoral fins. : Bhavania Hora
Gill openings of moderate size extending to the ventral surface for a short distance. -> 2 2. Pectoral fins with 19-21 rays. 8 to 10 outer rays unbranched. : Balitora Gray
Pectoral fins with 14-20 rays, three to eight outer rays unbranched. -> 3 3. Rostral groove in front of mouth absent or very poorly developed. Rostral fold absent or very slightly developed. Rostral barbels four. : Homaloptera van Hasselt
Rostral groove in front of mouth present, overhung by rostral fold. Rostral barbels seven or more. : Travancoria Hora
Balitora Gray, 1832 Diagnosis: Anterior part of body and abdomen greatly depressed, ventral surface flattened. Head flat, depressed. Snout broad, rounded, provided with trenchant margins, covered with small sharp tubercles. Mouth small, inferior, transverse and slightly arched. Eyes dorso-lateral, not visible from below ventral surface. Lips on lower jaw continuous with the upper one at angle of mouth and paillated, does not cover the lower jaw. Lower jaw sharp, strong, with a horny substance, Jaws and palate without teeth. Four short thick rostral barbels and one pair maxillary. Dorsal fin inserted above or slightly ahead of pelvic ins and with 12 rays (nine branched). Anal fin short with seven rays (five branched). Paired fins broad and horizontal. Pectoral fins with 19-21 rays (8-10 simple and 11-12 branched). Pelvic fins with 11 rays (two simple and nine branched). Caudal fin forked. Lateral line complete with 68-70 scales. Scales small.
Balitora brucei Gray, 1830 Key: Head length 6.5 in total length. Lateral line scales more than 65 (65 or 68 )
Colouration: Distribution: Eastern Himalayas; Meghalaya: Khasi Hills; West Bengal: Darjeeling
Habitat: Torrential Streams
Size: 9.0 cm SL.
Balitora mysorensis Hora, 1941 Key: Head length 5.0-6.4 in total length. Lateral line scales not more than 65 (64 or 65)
Colouration: Color is greenish brown with blothes along the dorsum and the lateral line. The bands on the lateral side coalesce to form a band. Belly is dirty white. Pectoral and ventral fins have a ray of dots. Caudal fin has a longer lobe with a horizontal dark shade.
Distribution: Western Ghats: Karnataka (Cauvery and Thungabhadra River Systems).
Habitat: Torrential Streams
Size: 9.0 cm SL.
Bhavania Hora, 1920 Diagnosis: Body and abdomen greatly depressed. Ventral surface in front of anal fin flattened. Head flat, depressed. Snout broadly pointed and with more or less trenchant margins. Mouth small, inferior transverse lunate. Eyes dorso-lateral, not visible from below ventral surface. Lips Fleshy, covering the jaws partly continuous at angles of mouth. Lower lip divided into one central and two lateral portions; central part followed by two prominent papillae. Jaws sharp and covered by horny substance. Jaws and palate without teeth. Six short stumpy barbels, four rostral and two maxillary. Dorsal fin inserted slightly behind the pelvic fins, with nine to eleven rays (Seven to nine branched). Paired fins broad, horizontal, wing-like. Pectoral fin with six to eight simple, and nine to eleven branched rays. Pelvic fins with two simple and seven or eight branched rays. Caudal fin forked, lower lobe considerably longer than upper. Lateral line complete with 70-75 scales.
Bhavania australis Jerdon, 1849 Key: Gill openings small and situated entirely above base of pectoral fins.
Colouration: Body light or dark brown, with irregularly arranged small blotches. All the median and paired fins are with regular rows of black spots.
Distribution: Western Ghats: Karnatake, Mysore District; Tamilnadu:
Nilgiris; Kerala; Silent Valley, Tenmalai and Wynaad.
Habitat: Torrential streams
Size: 9.0 cm SL.
Homaloptera van Hasselt, emend van der Hoeven, 1823 Diagnosis: Body and abdomen sub cylindrical, ventral surface flattened. Head flat, feebly or moderately depressed. Snout broad and round or long and pointed. Mouth inferior, transverse, slightly arched. Eyes superior or dorso-lateral not visible from below ventral surface. Lips full, plain and continuous at angles of mouth. Jaws strong, uncovered by lips, and with horny substance. Six barbels, four rostral, and two maxillary. Jaws and palate without teeth. Dorsal fin inserted above pelvic fins, or slightly ahead or behind, with nine rays (seven branched). Anal fin short with seven rays (five branched). Pectoral fins with two to eight simple and 8-12 branched rays. Pelvic fins with two simple and five to eight branched rays. Paired fins broad and horizontal. Caudal fin emarginate or deeply forked. Scales small. Lateral Line complete with 44-46 scales.
Homaloptera manipurensis Arunkumar, 1998 Key: Colouration: Distribution: Lokchao River, a major tributary of the Yu River drainage
system of Manipur.
Habitat: Size:
Homaloptera menoni Shaji and Esa, 1995 Key: 59-62 lateral line scales. Dorsal fin inserted nearer to the tip of the snout than to the caudal fin base. Pectoral fin has 5 simple and 9 branched rays. Pelvic fin overlaps the vent, bean-shaped blotch absent.
Colouration: Greenish yellow in color, with few irregular blotches on the dorsal.
Distribution: Bhavani River at Siruvani, Kerala.
Habitat: Size:
Homaloptera montana Herre, 1945 Key: Lateral line scales 72. Dorsal fin inserted equidistance between the snout and the caudal fin base. Pectoral fin has 4 simple and 8 branched rays; pectoral fin extending to pelvic fin base. Pelvic fin falls short of the vent.
Colouration: Brownish above with 10 short bars, a faint dark longitudinal stripe below lateral line from eye to caudal fin base.
Distribution: Western Ghats (Anaimalai Hills)
Habitat: Torrential streams
Size: 7.3 cm SL.
Homaloptera pillaii Indra & Rema Devi, 1981 Key: 83-93 lateral line scales. Dorsal fin inserted slightly closer to caudal fin base than snout. Pectoral fins have 7-9 simple and 11 -13 branched rays. Pelvic fins not reaching vent. Anal with poorly defined bean shaped blotch at its base
Colouration: Light brown with dark blotches irregularly scattered all over the head and body except on the ventral side.
Distribution: Western Ghats (River Kunthi, Silent Valley)
Habitat: Hill Streams
Size: 7.5 cm. SL
Photo Courtesy: Dr. Rema Devi
Homaloptera santhamparaiensis Johnson, Arunachalam and Rema Devi, 2002 Key: Dorsal fin origin behind the origin of the pelvic and inserted nearer to the caudal fin base than to the tip of the snout; 4 simple and 10 branched rays in the pectoral; body dark brown with 8-9 brown blotches and 88 to 95 scales along the lateral line.
Colouration: Head and body uniform dark brown. Belly pale yellow.
Dorsal marked with 8-9 dark indistinct brown blotches ; blotches more distinct in smaller specimens. Fins dusky white, and rays dark brown.
Distribution: Panniyar Stream, a tributary of the Periyar River
at Santhamparai Hills, Idukki District, Kerala.
Habitat: Hill Stream
Size: Photo Courtesy: Dr. Arunachalam
Travancoria Hora, 1941 Diagnosis: Body and abdomen greatly depressed, ventral surface in front of anal fin flattened. Head flat, greatly depressed. Snout narrowly rounded in front. Mouth small, inferior, transverse, greatly arched. Eyes dorso-lateral, not visible from below ventral surface. Lips full, plan, continuous round angles of mouth; middle part of posterior lip separated from sides, followed by two well developed papillae which may appear as short barbels in some specimens. Upper jaw covered by lip, lower jaw uncovered, shovel like, sharp, strongly covered with horny substance. Four short rostral barbels, and a pair of short maxillary barbels. Jaws and palate without teeth. Dorsal fin inserted opposite pelvic fins, with nine rays (seven or eight branched). Anal fin with eight ot nine rays (six or seven branched). Pectoral fins with six simple and nine or ten branched rays. Pelvic fins with two simple and six or seven branched rays. Paired fins broad, wing like, horizontal. Caudal fin emarginate. Scales small. Lateral Lime complete with 75-77 scales.
Travancoria elongata Pethiyagoda & Kottelat, 1994 Key: Colouration: Greenish-brown, with dark brown spots on back. The color pattern is more evident in the smaller specimens. In larger specimens, the blotches become more coalesced to give an uneven mottled appearance. Ventral side is creamy white.
Distribution: Kerala: Western Ghats: Upper reaches of Chalakudy River.
Habitat: Torrential Streams
Size: 11.4 cm. T.L.
Travancoria jonesi Hora, 1941 Key: Colouration: Dark on dorsum with saddle shaped spots. Head and lateral side of body are mottled with black spots of different sizes and pattern. Fins are with series of spots.
Distribution: Kerala: Western Ghats: High ranges and Anamalai Hills.
Habitat: Torrential Streams
Size: 8.4 cm. S.L.
References:
Checklist: Freshwater Fishes of India - A.G.K. Menon
The Freshwater Fishes of India.. A Handbook - K.C. Jayaram
Habitat and Distribution of Indian Hill Stream Fishes of Southern Kerala (South of Palghat Gap) - Raju Thomas K
Homaloptera santhamparaiensis, a New Species of Balitorid Fish (Teleostei: Balitoridae) from a Western Ghats Stream of Kerala, India - M. Arunachalam, J. A. Johnson and K. Rema Devi
Special thanks to Dr. Rema Devi for some useful inputs towards identification and literature.
Last edited by beta on Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:26 pm; edited 5 times in total
Joined: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 4259 Location: Chennai
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject: Re: Indian Hillstream loaches
I have most of the the information in. If you have biotope or specimen pics to share, please do use this thread too.
When you plan to photograph specimens for ID, Please remember to capture:
Lateral view, allowing scale counts and fin rays counts and shape of fins.
Ventral view, allowing fin ray counts and shapes/positions of fins.
Close up of mouthparts showing shape, barbels and any important features
Last edited by beta on Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:52 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 4259 Location: Chennai
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Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:58 pm Post subject: Re: Indian Hillstream loaches
Heiko collected these loaches from Madikeri, near or in Kaluarili river (spelling?) near Kaveri source.
The area in which these loaches were found was in the hills, about 1400 m high just near to Makeri. The biotope is rocky and partly very steep, and fast flowing. The rocks were often algae covered (on which they scrape the Aufwuchs from).
* Photo and information courtesy of Heiko Bleher
* Thanks to Sujoy for facilitating this.
Joined: Jun 13, 2005 Posts: 1898 Location: Bangalore
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:12 am Post subject: Re: Indian Hillstream loaches
Gorgeous initiative Beta!
Bhavania australis (most likely)
Spot at which they were collected near Sakleshpur, Western ghats. Found to be hanging out in large groups near rock ledges and undersides with fast flowing water.
Fed by waters from sources like these, super rich in dissolved oxygen
Joined: Jun 06, 2008 Posts: 475 Location: London/Bangalore
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject: Re: Indian Hillstream loaches
Wow Beta those loaches look nice and big... And found near Madikeri? A trip in summer would be best as I saw plenty of collection spots in my last week's visit there... Lovely loaches thanks for sharing...
Joined: Jun 29, 2003 Posts: 4259 Location: Chennai
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: Indian Hillstream loaches
Jibran: They are fishes with special requirements, so do research before you setup a tank for them. I have never been able to keep them alive for more than a year
Tabrez: Some of them seem to grow quite big. I got the shock of my life when I saw the one that I have posted above.
Jibran: They are fishes with special requirements, so do research before you setup a tank for them. I have never been able to keep them alive for more than a year
yup will do the research and might as well PM you for any other queries i might have before i setup the tank ans think about going collecting for them or start looking for them.
what exactly was the name of the second one whose pictures you posted that was a whopper
Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 880 Location: New Delhi-India
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Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 5:39 pm Post subject: Re: Indian Hillstream loaches
Hi all,
You need a special species only tank to keep these fishes and some of them are endangered so best is if you are sure you will be able to maintain them and keep them then it is ok to collect them.
You will have to set up a tank like this as I have set up for the hill stream loaches ...this one is Gastromyzon scitulus from Borneo. But the Indian Ones will also need a similar set up as well...
I have modified this design to have an increased water flow and have added additional power heads to do so. ( I will post the design and details on other thread...)
Also they need a lot of algae and very good quality of water, well oxygenated to survive and must be kept under 26C, best is between 20-25C.
So before collecting fishes from the wild please be sure that you will be able to provide them with an environment that they need to survive and that you will be able to maintain them on artificial food in captivity...
Best Regards
Sujoy
Last edited by joyban on Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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