| Pangio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Kuhli loach in an aquarium, commonly identified as P. kuhlii, but likely P. semicincta [1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cobitidae |
| Genus: | Pangio Blyth, 1860 |
| Type species | |
| Cobitis cinnamomea McClelland, 1839 [2] | |
| Species | |
See text. | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
Pangio is a genus of small Asian freshwater fish in the true loach family Cobitidae. In earlier taxonomic schemes it was known as Acanthophthalmus. The "kuhli loach" is well-known in the aquarium trade and commonly identified as P. kuhlii, but most individuals actually appear to be P. semicincta. [1]
The type species is Cobitis cinnamomeaMcClelland 1839, now known as Pangio pangia . [3]
These fish are best represented in Southeast Asia where all but five of the species live, [4] [5] including the Greater Sunda Islands with sixteen species. The five species found outside Southeast Asia are from India and Myanmar. [4] [6] They inhabit a wide range of mostly calm waters such as streams, swamps (often peat swamps) and backwaters, but there are also species in fast-flowing waters, [4] and one, P. bhujia, lives underground. [5]
