Schistura is a genus of fish in the stone loach family Nemacheilidae native to the streams and rivers of the southern and eastern Asia. Some of these species are troglobitic.
Schistura oedipus is a species of troglobitic stone loach endemic to caves in the Pang Mapha karst formation in Mae Hongson Province in Thailand. It is only found in very fast flowing cave streams where it feeds on micro-organism and organic matter. This species is highly sensitive to disturbance, changes in water quality and hydrography. The specific name oedipus refers to the mythical Ancient Greek king of Thebes, Oedipus who tore out his own eyes, this species has degenerate eyes.
Schistura aramis is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura from the Nam Nua catchment, a tributary of the Nam Ou in Laos, it may also possibly occur in Vietnam. The specific name comes from one of Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers, Aramis as do that of two other Schistura species endemic to the Nam Ou basin, S. athos and S.porthos.
Schistura athos is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura, its specific name athos is from, Athos, one of the Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, as do that of two other Schistura species endemic to the Nam Ou basin, S. aramis and S.porthos. It has only been recorded from the Nam Ou basin in Laos, as well as from a stretch of the Nam Noua, a tributary of the Nam Ou, in Vietnam. S. athos has been collected from rapids and stretches of the main river with stone substrates.
Schistura deansmarti is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura. It is found in cave streams in a karst landscape in the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park of Phitsanulok Province where it lives mainly on the stream beds and feeds on organic material and micro-organisms. The specific name honors the British speleologist who collected the original specimens and who works for the conservation of caves in Thailand.
Schistura geisleri is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Schistura, the most speciose of the genera within the stone loach family, Nemacheilidae. Its known range is in the upper parts of the Chao Praya in Thailand but it has also been reported from the Tapi River in Peninsular Thailand, as it has not been recorded from the darainages between these two systems the taxonomic status of the Tapi population may need to be reassessed. Its habitat is slow flowing streams with depths no greater than 30 cm during the dry season and in shallow riffles with a substrate consisting of pebbles which are up to 5 cm in diameter, with a moderate current and clear water. The specific name honours the German aquarist Rolf Geisler (1925-2012), in thanks for his "valuable help".
Schistura kaysonei, the Laotian cave loach, is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Schistura. It is endemic to Laos where only found in streams in caves. Like other cave-adapted fish, it is blind and has little pigmentation. This troglobitic species has been recorded from only a single cave in a karst landscape in Khammouane Province in Laos. Here it can be found around 100m from the cave entrance and its diet is thought to be organic detritus, such as bat guano, and micro-organisms. It is threatened by a decline in the quality and quantity of the water flowing through the case, caused by deforestation and increased agriculture, as well as potential overfishing for the aquarium trade. The specific name honours Kaysone Phomvihane (1920-1992), who was president of Laos.
Schistura kongphengi is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura, the most specious of the genera of stone loaches. It occurs in the middle and upper parts of the Nam Gnouang drainage south to the drainage of the Xe Bang Hiang in Laos and Vietnam. It has been recorded from dstreams with moderate to fast currents over substrates of gravel and sands and among riffles and rapids. The specific name honours Kongpheng Bouakhamvongsa, an official with the Department of Livestock and Veterinary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, for the help he gave to Maurice Kottelat with his field work in Laos.
Schistura malaisei is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura. It is a benthic species of fast-flow, well-oxygenated, cool water in the Irrawaddy River basin of Myanmar and Yunnan. It can be found in the aquarium trade and over exploitation may threaten local populations. The specific name honours Swedish entomologist René Malaise (1892-1978), who collected type and in whose fish collections from Burma (1933-1935), including specimens from some remote localities, Maurice Kottelat found the type specimen from which he described the species.
Schistura menanensis is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach in the genus Schistura. It has only been recorded in the Mae Nam Nan drainage, a branch of the Chao Phraya in Thailand where it has been observed in streams with moderate to fast currents, in riffles, with gravel to stone beds. The specific name menanensis refers to the type locality of this species on the Mae Nam Nam.
Schistura melarancia is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura. It is found in the Mekong drainage in Laos and Vietnam. The specific name melarancia is derived from an old Italian word for an orange and refers to the orange-brown colour of the fins and body of this species.
Schistura papulifera is a critically endangered species of ray-finned fish, a troblobitic stone loach, in the genus Schistura endemic to the state of Meghalaya in India. It is currently known to be restricted to the Krem Synrang Pamiang cave system near the Jaintia Hills, where it is threatened by limestone extraction. This species lives in pools of standing water within the cave system preferring these to the streams of flowing water, being most numerous in the largest and deepest pools. This may be because the larger pools offer a more stable environment for the fish. The specific name is a compound of the Latin papula meaning "a small tumour" and fera meaning "to bear", referring to the growths around the lower half this species head.
Schistura sokolovi is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura from Vietnam. It occurs in medium-sized to small streams with a current and riffles, over gravel and sandy substrates. The specific name honours the Russian zoologist Vladimir Evgenievich Sokolov (1928-1988) for his contribution to the knowledge of the zoology of central Vietnam.
Schistura spekuli is a species of ray-finned fish, a troglobitic stone loach, in the genus Schistura. It has been recorded from a single cave in central Vietnam. The specific name refers to SPEKUL, the speleological club of the University of Leuven in Belgium.
Schistura susannae is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura. It occurs in small mountain streams which have waterfalls and small riffles, where it is usually observed in pools with gravel or sandy bottoms. It has only been found to occur in the Mong Mo river, a small coastal drainage, in central Vietnam. The specific name honors Susanne Klähr, for the help she gave to Maurice Kottelat in his field work.
Schistura thanho is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach in the genus Schistura. It has only been recorded in the Vinh Thanh River drainage in Central Vietnam where it occurs in riffles with a very fast current. It is threatened by overfishing, the degradation and loss of habitat caused by dam constructions and deforestation resulting in the silting up of the streams it occurs in. The specific name is a reference to the “friendly people” of the Tha Nho ethnic community in Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam, where the type locality of this species is located.
Schistura vinciguerrae is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura which is found in the Irrawaddy and Salween River basins in Myanmar, and the Chindwin drainage in Myanmar and Manipur, India. The specific name honours the Italian ichthyologist Decio Vinciguerra, who classified Burmese fishes and described the species, Schistura multifasciata, which S. vinciguerrae was separated from.
Schistura yersini is a species of ray-finned fish, a stone loach, in the genus Schistura which is found in two mountain rivers near Dalat in Vietnam. The species is abundant in steep, streams and rivers which have a gravel or rocky substrate and fast current. It is resistant to organic pollution and human disturbance of its habitat and is able to persist in streams flowing through settlements. It is most common in riffles and rapids where the water flow is greater than 1 metre per second below the surface. The specific name honours the Swiss biologist and humanist Alexandre Yersin (1863-1943), who spent a great deal of his life working around Dalat near where the original type of this species was collected.
The Nemacheilidae, or stone loaches, are a family of cypriniform fishes that inhabit stream environments, mostly in Eurasia, with one genus, Afronemacheilus found in Africa. The family includes about 790 species.
Schistura colossa is a species of stone loach in the genus Schistura which has been recorded from the Xe Pian, Xe Set and Houay Champi rivers on the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos. It was described by the Belgian ichthyologist Maurice Kottelat in 2017 and does not feature in Fishbase yet. The specific name colossa means giant, this species is one of the largest species of southeast Asian stone loaches.
