Glyptothorax

Glyptothorax
Glyptothorax lonah
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Superfamily: Sisoroidea
Family: Sisoridae
Subfamily: Glyptosterninae
Tribe: Glyptothoracini
de Pinna, 1996
Genus: Glyptothorax
Blyth, 1860
Species

Some 75, see text.
Synonyms
  • Aglyptosternon
    Bleeker, 1862
  • Euclyptosternum
    Günther, 1864
  • Pteroglanis
    Fowler, 1934
  • Pteropsoglanis
    Fowler, 1934
  • Sundagagata
    Boeseman, 1966
  • Paraglyptothorax
    Li, 1986
  • Superglyptothorax
    Li, 1986

Glyptothorax is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Sisoridae. It is the most species-rich and widely distributed genus in the family with some 73 described species and new forms being discovered on a regular basis.

Contents

Distribution

Glyptothorax species are distributed in the Black Sea basin, northern Turkey, south and east to the Yangtze River drainage in China and south throughout Indo-China to Java, Indonesia.[1] They are found in Asia Minor (in the Tigris and Euphrates River drainages) and southwards to Southeast Asia. The genus is very diverse in the Indian subcontinent.[2] Southeast Asian Glyptothorax species tend to have restricted distributions.[3]

Description

Glyptothorax is easily distinguished from other sisorids by having an adhesive apparatus on the thorax with grooves parallel or oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body, as opposed to grooves transverse to the longitudinal axis of body or the thoracic adhesive apparatus entirely absent.[1] The dorsal fin and pectoral fins have strong spines. The dorsal fin spine is smooth or serrate on the front edge and smooth or finely serrated on the posterior edge. The pectoral fin spine is serrated on the front edge. The head is small and depressed and the snout is conical. The body is elongate, from moderately to greatly depressed. The skin is either smooth or tuberculate. The eys are small and dorsally placed. The lips are thick, fleshy, and often papillate. The maxillary barbels have a well-developed membrane and a soft base. The gill openings are wide. The paired fins are plaited and modified to form an adhesive apparatus in some species of Glyptothorax.[1]

Ecology

Like other sisorids, these fish are rheophilic, that is they inhabit fast-flowing streams, where they are adapted to live by using the adhesive apparatus on the underside to attach themselves to rocks and prevent being washed away.[3]

Biodiversity

There are currently 75 recognized species, see here for details

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. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/zt01345p096.pdf. 
  2. ^ Ng, Heok Hee (2005). "Glyptothorax botius (Hamilton, 1822), a valid species of catfish (Teleostei: Sisoridae) from northeast India, with notes on the identity of G. telchitta (Hamilton, 1822)" (PDF). Zootaxa 930: 1–19. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2005f/zt00930.pdf. 
  3. ^ a b Ng, Heok Hee; Rachmatika, Ike (2005). "Glyptothorax exodon, a New Species of Rheophilic Catfish from Borneo (Teleostei: Sisoridae)" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (2): 251–255. http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/53/53rbz251-255.pdf.