Conta

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Conta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Erethistidae
Genus: Conta
Hora, 1950
Binomial name
Conta conta
(Hamilton, 1822)
Conta pectinata
Ng, 2005

Conta is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Erethistidae. It includes two species, C. conta and C. pectinata.[1]

[edit] Distribution and habitat

C. conta is distributed in the Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages, India and Bangladesh.[1] C. conta is also listed to originate from Bhareli and Mahananda Rivers, northeast Bengal, Garo Hills, Meghalaya; and Bangladesh; and also Sarda River, Uttar Pradesh.[2] C. pectinata originates from the Middle Brahmaputra River basin, Assam, India.[3]

C. conta occurs in rocky streams at the bases of hills.[4]

[edit] Description

Conta can be distinguished from all other erethistids by the presence of a very long and narrow adhesive apparatus on its thorax about six times as it is long. It also has extremely narrow gill openings, a slender body, a serrated anterior margin on the dorsal fin spine, a papillate upper lip, and 9–10 anal fin rays. The eyes are small and located dorsolaterally. There is villiform (brush-like) teeth in both jaws. The pectoral fin spine is serrated anteriorly and posteriorly.[1]

C. conta reaches about 8 centimetres (3 in) TL.[4] C. pectinata grows to about 5 cm (2 in) SL.[5] C. pectinata differs from C. conta in that it has a longer and more slender caudal peduncle and in having anteriorly-directed serrations (instead of antrorse or distally-directed serrations) the anterior edge of the pectoral fin spine.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Thomson, Alfred W.; Page, Lawrence M. (2006). "Genera of the Asian Catfish Families Sisoridae and Erethistidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes)" (PDF). Zootaxa 1345: 1–96. 
  2. ^ Ferraris, Carl J., Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types" (PDF). Zootaxa 1418: 1–628. 
  3. ^ a b Ng, Heok Hee (March 2005). "Conta pectinata, a new erethistid catfish (Teleostei: Erethistidae) from northeast India" (PDF). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 16 (1): 23–28. 
  4. ^ a b "Conta conta". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
  5. ^ "Conta pectinata". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.
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