It can be distinguished from congeners by possessing one or two pairs of barbels, a black blotch at the base of the caudal-fin, and rows of dark spots along the lateral scale rows.

Members of Cyclocheilichthys are characterised by possessing a serrated dorsal fin spine, 9 branched pelvic fin rays, a conical snout, small, subterminal…

Despite being a wholly unsuitable aquarium subject, C. idella is often traded as such, with an albino form having been developed specifically for the ornamental market.

Individuals which have outgrown their aquarium or pond should never be released into natural waters, either, since this species has proven capable of causing serious environmental damage under a wide range of climatic conditions.

This species can be most easily distinguished from other members of the genus by its colour pattern which consists of a blackish midlateral stripe extending from the tip of the gill opening to the middle of the caudal-fin base, which is separated from the dark brown dorsum by a pale yellowish brown stripe. This differs from the pattern seen in other Crossocheilus species with a black midlateral stripe in which the the dorsum is olive brown and much paler than the midlateral stripe, there is no yellow stripe between the dorsum and the black stripe, and the black stripe extends to the tip of the snout.

Given its wide natural range it seems logical that this species is or has been available in the aquarium trade, although its correct name may never have been applied.

It is told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: two pairs of barbels; a continuous midlateral stripe from the tip of the snout to the base of the caudal-fin, with a conspicuous small blotch at the posterior extremity, faintly marked on the caudal-fin; a faint mark between the anus and the anal-fin origin in juveniles; a narrow mouth.

Appears to have a disjunct range with records from Pahang state in central Peninsular Malaysia, plus the Mae Klong and Chao Phraya river systems in Thailand, but it has not been recorded in Peninsular Thailand.

Type locality is ‘Pahang River, Kuala Tembeling, eastern slope of Sangka Dua Pass, Malaysia, elevation about 2000 feet’.

The genus Sundasalanx is distributed throughout much of Southeast Asia and currently comprises seven species which have primarily been distinguished on the basis of oral and dental morphology, gill rakers and eye size. S. microps possesses 0-3 small conical teeth on ceratobranchial 5, 0-2 minute gill rakers on the first arch and a small eye measuring less…

This species is not collected for the aquarium trade at time of writing.

In contrast to other members of the genus older juvenile and adult individuals lack dark markings on the body while the jaw is more pronounced.

There is considerable confusion surrounding the identity of B. bagarius with its name having been widely applied to a relatively small species that is said to reach only 200 mm SL and considered to be common in northern India and much of Indochina.

This species is clearly unsuitable for the home aquarium given its eventual size and natural behaviour, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with the facilities required to house it long-term.

The grouping currently contains four species but is in urgent need of review with a number of additional taxa thought to exist and B. yarrelli possibly representing a synonym of B. bagarius.

This species can be told apart from the similar-looking congener C. baramensis (once considered synonymous with C. melasoma) by absence (vs. presence) of a black spot in the centre of numerous body scales and absence (vs. presence in specimens larger than 120 mm SL) of a barred caudal-fin pattern.