This species is one of three similar-looking members of the genus alongside D. johorensis and D. trifasciatus, while it may also be confused with Striuntius lineatus.

Juveniles of all except S. lineatus exhibit a vertically-barred rather than laterally-striped colour pattern, the metamorphosis to adult patterning beginning at around 20 mm SL and normally being complete by 30-40 mm.

Known only from Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu state, at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. Type locality is the Kodayar River drainage and it’s also been collected in the Paralayar and Pamburivaikal river systems.

No precise data is available but it’s certainly a pelagic, riverine species with habitats likely to vary depending on locality and time o…

There is a case, however, to suggest that D. exclamatio is not actually a distinct taxon but rather a natural hybrid between D. assimilis and a D. arulius-like fish (possibly D. rubrotinctus) which occur together at its type locality in the Kallada River at Thenmalai.

The potential of hybridisation is evidenced by the somewhat intermediate colour pattern in that it possesses a (roughly) W-shaped mid-lateral blot…

S. chalakkudiensis can be told apart from S. denisonii by possession of an inferior mouth (vs. subterminal) and presence of a black marking in the dorsal-fin (vs. absence), and the scarlet body stripe being duller and terminating beneath or anterior to the dorsal-fin origin (vs. brighter and terminating beneath the centre of the dorsal-fin).

Following Kottelat (1990) the genus Nemacheilus is characterised by a combination of characters as follows: elongate body; complete lateral line; presence of enlarged scales above and below the lateral line in some species; caudal-fin forked to deeply forked with enlarged upp…

Schistura species are omnivorous although the bulk of their diet consists of small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton with only relatively small amounts of plant matter consumed, mostly via the stomach contents of prey items.

In the aquarium they will acc…

N. selangoricus is most similar to N. spiniferus since it possesses acuminate scales above and below the lateral line on the caudal peduncle, a feature not shared with any other congener. It can however be distinguished by the following characters: presence of 8-12 very regular dark bars on flanks (vs. 10-13 irregularly-shaped bars in N. spiniferus), 3-5 times…

‘N.‘ anguilla can be told apart from other Indian members of the genus by possessing dark flank markings which are partially or completely merged to form a lateral stripe, and an almost-complete lateral line extending to the anal-fin.

Kottelat (2012) states that its generic placement requires additional study hence the genus name i…

Apparently inhabits calm to moderately-flowing stretches of well-oxygenated headwaters and minor tributaries. Such habitats tend to comprise transparent water, substrates of sand, gravel, rocks, boulders, and patches of leaf litter, with submerged driftwood, roots of riparian vegetation, and aquatic vegetation in places.

Towards the Andaman Sea the lower part of the delta gives way to brackish mangrove swamps. The climate is wet, with annual precipitati0n of 1500 – 2500 mm, up to 90% of which falls between mid May and mid November, and warm with average air temperatures of 22 – 37 °C over the course of the year.

At one locality M. nanus was collected in less then 30cm of water from an oxbow lake among floating Pistia-like vegetation and gra…