Western Ghats(India) collection trip and loach ID

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random2
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:38 am
Location: KA, India

Western Ghats(India) collection trip and loach ID

Post by random2 » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:45 pm

Hi all,

I had posted a question earlier regarding methods of catching loaches in the wild.

Had been to a collection trip with members of IAH. We covered a good part of western ghats in Karnataka. Will try If I can mark up a map and post. Overall 1000+km.

Here are some findings -

We found L. thermalis to be one of the most common loaches (nothing surprising I think)

Other catches/sitings were - N. anguilla, Schistura sp.
Non-loaches -
Lots of Killis mainly A. lineatus
Rasbora daniconius
Puntius sahyadrensis
Puntius arulius

We managed to locate a place where Schistura nilgiriensis were caught.

There was one dead loach. This place seems to be polluted with pesticides.
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and our expert catcher Mayur managed to catch the below one in the last minute -
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Any idea on what these are?
The second one has
4 barbels - the lower pair is pretty long
Has greenish bars all along ( 7- 8 ). Some start below the lateral line.
There are small black dots along the lateral line.
Its dorsal and caudal fins were pretty red when caught.
The eyes are pretty reddish in color.
The caudal fin is split slightly. like M turned 90degrees

I have this in my tank presently. But the guy/gal gets spooked if I switch on any lights. So will post snaps of these in few days once it gets settled.

We also managed to catch loaches which most probably are N. anguilla. I have a bunch of smaller specimens. The larger ones are on the way to Beta (so he might post them on petfrd).

This was the place where we got the dead loach and caught schistura sp. (probable) - http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/commu ... &start=495

Pictures of biotopes and others will be posted on IAH -
http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/commu ... &start=450

The pictures I have posted here were taken by Madan Subramanian.
--------------
Regards,
Deepak

random2
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:38 am
Location: KA, India

Post by random2 » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:00 pm

Few of the guys who are in my tank

Schistura sp.
Image

Image

N. anguilla
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Could anyone please take a dig at the dead loach ID in the top? That doesnt look like a Schistura sp. Its caudal and dorsal fins were red.
--------------
Regards,
Deepak

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Emma Turner
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Post by Emma Turner » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:54 pm

Hi Deepak,
The dead loach in that first pic reminds me of Acanthocobitis sp. on account of the prominent eye spot on the top of the caudal fin.
Great pics and information!
Emma
Image
East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
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daspricey
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Location: york

Post by daspricey » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:50 am

Beautiful fish! :D

piggy4
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Location: manchester

Post by piggy4 » Sat Apr 18, 2009 1:59 pm

Hi random2, could the fish in pics 4 and5 be S.semiarmatus ?

random2
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:38 am
Location: KA, India

Post by random2 » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:08 pm

Emma, daspricey - Thanks

piggy4 - yes, think it is. But some of the local experts are in between S. denisonii and S. semiarmatus. Need better pictures and this shy guy is not helping much. Should have better ones in a day or two.
--------------
Regards,
Deepak

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Graeme Robson
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Post by Graeme Robson » Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:16 am

The first loach (dead one) has been bugging me..... i'm now thinking Indoreonectes evezardi or some Indoreonectes sp. I did see a picture somewhere in the Internet ages ago but cant seem to find it now. It just reminds me of something unusual that lives in the western ghats.

Superb pictures.
Image

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Graeme Robson
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Post by Graeme Robson » Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:23 am

I've found the picture! It doesn't show a caudal eye spot that is prominent but you can see the similarity's with the elongated face and patterns. (apparently valid from fish-base sources)

Indoreonectes evezardi
Image
Image

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