Mystus malabaricus

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Mystus malabaricus
Mystus malabaricus from Trivandrum, India.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Bagridae
Genus: Mystus
Species:
M. malabaricus
Binomial name
Mystus malabaricus
(Jerdon, 1849)
Synonyms [2]
  • Bagrus malabaricusJerdon, 1849
  • Hara malabarica(Jerdon, 1849)
  • Macrones malabaricus(Jerdon, 1849)

Mystus malabaricus, commonly known as the Jerdon's catfish or koori, [1] is a small to medium-sized freshwater fish of the family Bagridae found in the Western Ghats region of India. [3] They are endemic to the hilly streams of Western Ghats. [4]

Contents

Etymology

The generic epithet, Mystus, is probably derived from mystax (Greek; "whiskered", referring to the four pairs of barbels characteristic of the family). The specific epithet malabaricus refers to Malabar, region in southern India, where the type locality is situated. [5] [6]

Ecology

Members of this genus have been reported as facultative air-breathers. [7] M. malabaricus is amphidromous, meaning they migrate to brackish waters for purposes other than breeding. They have demersal habit, [5] found in shallow hill streams with rocky bottom. [4]

Description and diagnosis

Nasal barbels never reach occiput, it reaches a middle point between occiput and orbit; outer mandibulars reach to tip of pectorals; occipital process connected to dorsal front by an interneural shield; tip of rayed dorsal reaches to base of adipose dorsal front; any other fins touch each other; dorsal spine smooth both internally and externally; anal fin inserted considerably behind anal opening; upper caudal lobe longer than lower one. Sensory organs distinctly seen on lateral line. Color: body greenish; eyes blackish blue. [4]

Diagnosis

Body elongate; dorsal and ventral profiles nearly straight; maxillary barbels reach to middle or end of pelvic fins; cephalic fontanel single, shallow and never reach to occiput; occipital process short and it do not reach dorsal front; the former cannot be seen externally as predorsal region is covered by a thick layer of flesh; caudal lobes rounded. [4]

Other species from the region include [4] (list incomplete) [8] -

Distribution

M. malabaricus has been reported from the Western Ghats across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu [4] and Maharashtra. [5] The type locality is assigned as "mountain streams of Malabar" by Jerdon [9]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Hemibagrus wyckioides</i> Species of fish

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Hemibagrus wyckii is a species of catfish of the family Bagridae. It is occasionally called the crystal-eyed catfish or black devil catfish.

<i>Horabagrus brachysoma</i> Species of fish

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<i>Batasio</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Bagrichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Bagrichthys is a genus of bagrid catfishes.

<i>Leiarius</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Mystus</i> Genus of fishes

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The Somalia catfish is a species of catfish in the family Bagridae. The Somalia catfish is native to the Jubba River in Somalia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar trevally</span> Species of fish

The Malabar trevally, also known as the Malabar jack, Malabar kingfish or nakedshield kingfish, is a species of large inshore marine fish of the jack family, Carangidae. It is distributed throughout the Indian and west Pacific Oceans from South Africa in the west to Japan and Australia in the east, inhabiting reefs and sandy bays on the continental shelf. The Malabar trevally is similar to many of the other species in the genus Carangoides, with the number of gill rakers and the grey-brown colour of the tongue being the diagnostic features. The Malabar trevally is a predator, taking a variety of small fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. The species is of minor economic importance throughout its range, caught by a variety of net and handline methods.

Kryptoglanis shajii is a species of subterranean catfish found in subsurface waters in the Western Ghats in Kerala, India. This cavefish grows to a length of 5.9 centimetres (2.3 in) SL. It is currently the only known member of its genus and family. Although first discovered from underground waters, it has also been seen in dense vegetation in paddy fields and was found to be common in this habitat in the Chalakudy. The species strongly avoids light and feeds on small invertebrates.

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Hemibagrus punctatus, or Nilgiri mystus, is a species of fish in the family Bagridae. It was first described by Jerdon in 1849. It is endemic to east-flowing rivers in the Western Ghats of India. Of these, the species is likely only found in the Kaveri River; records from the Krishna River may actually be of H. maydelli. However, one record from the west-flowing Bharatappuzha River has been tentatively assigned to this species. The last record of this species was in 1998, and it may have experienced a population decline of nearly 100%; thus, IUCN categorizes the species as critically endangered. It is threatened by habitat degradation by excess siltation, excess fishing, and dam construction. However, based on several specimens caught by fishermen between 2011 and 2012 that likely belong to this species, as well as testimonies from local fishers, moderate populations of this species may still be extant in the region.

The Malabar black-backed barb is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae in the Puntius genus. The species has been discovered in 2012, named and described by Prof. Dr. Mathews Plamoottil, Head of the Department of Zoology, Baby John Memorial Govt. College, Chavara, Kollam, Kerala in 2014. The study and paper on the fish was published in international publications like Journal of Research in Biology in December the same year (2014). It was collected from Mananthavady river in the high altitude hilly Wayanad district in Kerala, India. The specific name 'nigronotus refers to the color of the blackish back side of the fish.

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References

  1. 1 2 Abraham, R. (2020) [errata version of 2011 assessment]. "Mystus malabaricus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011: e.T172343A174791134. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T172343A174791134.en . Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  2. "Mystus malabaricus (Jerdon, 1849)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  3. "Mystus malabaricus (Jerdon, 1849) | Species". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Plamoottil, Dr Mathews (2017). "Taxonomic Notes on Mystus Species of Northern Kerala". Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development. 08 (6). doi: 10.4172/2155-9546.1000495 . ISSN   2155-9546.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mystus malabaricus : fisheries". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  6. "PlanetCatfish.com - Mystus malabaricus (Bagridae) Cat-eLog". www.planetcatfish.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  7. "References", Air-Breathing Fishes, Elsevier, pp. 265–288, 1997, doi:10.1016/b978-012294860-2/50011-8, ISBN   978-0-12-294860-2 , retrieved 2024-08-30
  8. "Fish Identification". fishbase.de. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  9. Madras Literary Society. Madras Journal of Literature and Science. London Natural History Museum Library. Colombo: Madras Literary Society.