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River

Periyar

10 profiles across 5 families name the Periyar as a locality.

Species
10
Families
5
Photographed
10 of 10
Difficulty rated
10 of 10
Sexually-mature adult male individual.

Barilius bakeri

Cyprinidae · Day, 1865

Max length
130mm SL5in SL
Tank
150 × 60cm60 × 24in
Temp
18–26°C64–79°F
pH
6.0–7.5

This species is traded under several names including 'royal danio', 'blue-spotted hill trout', and 'blue-dotted mirror fish'. It can be distinguished from congeners by possessing a single row of bluish-green spots along the length of the body, white margins on the dorsal and anal fins, 37-38+1 lateral line scales, and fleshy rudi...

Moderate
Adult male specimen in the aquarium.

Barilius gatensisMalabar Baril

Cyprinidae · Valenciennes, 1844

Max length
130mm SL5in SL
Tank
150 × 60cm60 × 24in
Temp
18–26°C64–79°F
pH
6.0–7.5

This species is traded very occasionally, sometimes under the alternative vernacular names of 'river baril, 'river carp-baril', or 'striated hill trout'. It can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: 1 pair of minute rostra...

Moderate
Adult specimen.

Bhavania australis

Balitoridae · Jerdon, 1849

Max length
100mm SL3.9in SL
Tank
120 × 30cm48 × 12in
Temp
16–24°C61–75°F
pH
6.0–7.5

An obligate dweller of shallow, fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated headwaters and minor tributaries characterised by stretches of riffles and runs broken up by pools or cascades in some cases. Substrates are normally composed of smaller rocks, sand and gravel with jumbles of boulders, and whil...

Moderate
Specimen from the Chalakudy River.

Etroplus maculatusOrange Chromide

Cichlidae · Bloch, 1795

Max length
80mm SL3.1in SL
Tank
120 × 60cm48 × 24in
Temp
20–28°C68–82°F
pH
7.0–8.5

Wild examples are rarely-seen in the aquarium hobby although selectively-bred ornamental strains are widely-available for which care is identical. These are normally traded as 'red' or 'yellow' chromide and have a solid yellow-orange colour pattern with no dark elements. It exhibits a widespread sympatry with the con...

Moderate
Wild specimen from Kerala state, southwestern India.

Laubuka fasciataMalabar Hatchet Chela

Cyprinidae · Silas, 1958

Max length
50mm SL2.0in SL
Tank
120 × 30cm48 × 12in
Temp
20–26°C68–79°F
pH
6.5–7.5

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following characters: dark longitudinal stripe on body, extending from eye to caudal peduncle; scattered tubercles present on lower jaw; 14½-16½ branched anal-fin rays; pelvic-fin long, reaching beyond anus.

Moderate
Adult specimen.

Lepidocephalichthys thermalis

Cobitidae · Valenciennes, 1846

Max length
50mm SL2.0in SL
Tank
45 × 30cm18 × 12in
Temp
20–25°C68–77°F
pH
6.0–8.0

This species is available sporadically and makes an excellent choice for those new to keeping loaches. It's distinguishable from congeners by a combination of characters including: truncate/rounded caudal-fin; no scales on top of head; dark, squarish spots o...

Easy
Wild individual from Kerala, India.

Pseudosphromenus dayiBrown Spike-tailed Paradise Fish

Osphronemidae · Engman, 1909

Max length
65mm SL2.6in SL
Tank
60 × 30cm24 × 12in
Temp
20–28°C68–82°F
pH
6.0–7.5

Engmann (1909) mentions that the type series was collected from 'Malakka' but this is considered an error which probably should have read 'Kerala' since this species is known only from coastal drainages of the Western Ghats mountains in southern Kerala state, India.

Easy
The same specimen as in the previous image after a cool water change - note the differences in colour pattern.

Puntius mahecola

Cyprinidae · Valenciennes, 1844

Max length
75mm SL3.0in SL
Tank
90 × 30cm36 × 12in
Temp
18–24°C64–75°F
pH
6.0–7.5

This species has a chaotic taxonomic history with certain issues still to be resolved. While the name P. mahecola was misapplied to members of the genus Dawkinsia for over a century the fish itself has been widely misidentified as the congener P. amphibius (Valenciennes 1842). Its identity was partially resolved by Pethiyagoda and Kottelat (2005b) who demonstrated that though valid P. mahecola is not a Dawkinsia spp. but rather a smaller, relatively plain species with a single dark blotc...

Easy
Specimen from the Kallada River, Kerala, India.

Garra hughiCardamom Garra

Cyprinidae · Silas, 1955

Max length
155mm SL6in SL
Tank
not recorded
Temp
not recorded
pH
not recorded

G. hughi is occasionally available in the ornamental trade and may be labelled 'chocolate algae eater'. The original diagnosis of this species by Silas states that it can be identified by the following combination of characters: elongate body form; broad head...

Moderate
3 fields missing
Specimens collected from the Chalakkudy River for the aquarium trade.

Garra surendranathanii

Cyprinidae · Shaji, Arun & Easa, 1996

Max length
150mm SL6in SL
Tank
not recorded
Temp
not recorded
pH
not recorded

The type series was collected from a stream-like tributary of the Chalakkudy River at an altitude of 483 m AMSL. In March 1996 the habitat measured around 15 m across and comprised shallow (~ 20 cm deep) water flowing slowly through moist deciduous forest over a substrate of pebbles and boulders.

Moderate
3 fields missing