Results for “várzea”

This species is rarely-exported for the aquarium hobby but is available on occasion. The name 'P.' kuchingensis is frequently misapplied, however, with subadult forms of 'P.' everetti and some populations of the geographically-variable 'P.' lateristriga regularly traded as such, for example. Though closely-affiliated with and superficially very similar to...

This species is also known by the alternative names 'green' or 'Chinese' barb. The natural 'green' form is an infrequent find in the aquarium trade whereas the selectively-bred 'golden' variant is farmed in huge numbers and is among the most popular of freshwater aquarium fish. The latter was first produced in the 1960s and is now so ubiquitous that many hobbyists are initially unaware that it is not the natural form.

This species is still very rare in the hobby although it has built up something of a following among enthusiasts of planted 'nano' aquaria and you may see it on sale under the trade names of 'dwarf amber/ember barb'. Its small adult size evolved via a process known as miniaturisation characterised by sexually mature adults with a significantly reduced size of less than 20mm SL. Among bony fishes cyprinids are one of the few groups in which this phenomenon occurs repeated...

The genus Barbus is in something of a confused state classification-wise. While there exist almost 340 putative species the vast majority of them do not appear to be closely-related to the genus Barbus sensu stricto. Berrebi et al. (1996) proposed that only the European, Southwest Asian and North African representatives should be included in Barbus (around 20 species) and that 'all species of Barbus sen...

Type locality is given as 'Cedawáti [Vedawati] stream, headwaters of Krishna River near Heriuru, Mysore, India', with the species currently considered to occur throughout India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and probably Bhutan. It's also been recorded in Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka although some or all of these reports may refer to other species.

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...

Probably restricted to southern parts of Karnataka state and northern Kerala state in southwestern India. Following its revalidation in 2015 (see 'Notes') it is known with certainty only from the Payaswini and Vallapattanam river systems in Kerala although it is thought to occur elsewhere.

Prior to description this species was traded under the DATZ code L047 or the alternative vernacular name 'magnum pleco'. It can be distinguished from congeners by a combination of the following characters: presence of a broad, light-coloured (usually yellowish) distal band on the dorsal and caudal fins throughout life, slightly reduced in adults. The only other member of the genus to possess such bands is B. xanthellus but in that species they are reduced to small markings at the fin tips in adults, and the body is covered in pale, normally yellowish, spots.

This species is very similar to Hemiancistrus subviridis in appearance and the two occur sympatrically in nature, although B. demantoides is less common in the aquarium trade. Both have been marketed under the DATZ code L200 with B. demantoides sometimes referred to as 'L200 high-fin' or 'L200a', the former name in reference to its comparatively long dorsal-fin spine (average length in the type series 42.1 mm vs. 34.3 mm in H. subviridis).

Members of the genus Batasio are characterised by the following combination of characters; laterally-compressed body shape; presence of large sensory pores on the head; a narrow mental region; a pair of prominent posterior processes on the anterior portion of the vomer; a transversely elongated, bar-like entopterygoid; close contact between the metapterygoid and quadrate.

The only other described member of the genus native to southwestern India is B. sharavtiensis which occurs a little further north than B. travancoria in Karanataka state. The two are easily distinguished by colour pattern in that B. travancoria possesses a darkish midlateral stripe and a poorly-defined, but normally visible, post-opercular spot, whereas B. sharavtiensis has no such mark...

This species is one of several traded variously as 'butterfly loach', 'butterfly plec', 'Hong Kong plec(o)', 'Chinese hillstream loach' or simply 'hill stream loach'. In many countries it's the most common balitorid in the shops but is also often found in mixed shipments containing members of other genera. Like all balitorids it's an obligate bottom-dweller with specialised morphology adapted to life in fast-flowing water. The paire...

This species was first imported for the aquarium hobby during the 1950s and was for many years misidentified and traded as Bedotia geayi, a valid, but different-looking congener native to the Mananjary River system, south of the range of B. madagascarensis. In terms of external characters, the two are most easily told apart by differences in colour pattern, particularly that of the unpaired fins, and some morphometric counts.

Like others in the suborder Anabantoidei this species possesses an accessory breathing organ known as the labyrinth. So-called due to its maze-like structure this organ allows the fish to breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent. Comprising paired suprabranchial organs formed via expansion of the epibranchial (upper) section of the first gill arch and housed in a chamber above the gills, it contains...

The genus Betta is the most speciose within the family Osphronemidae with almost 70 recognised members and looks set to grow further with new ones continuing to be described on a regular basis since the turn of the century. Member species have successfully adapted to inhabit a variety of ecological niches from stagnant ditches to flowing hill streams including some extreme environments such as highly acidic peat swamp forests.

B. brownorum is included in the Betta coccina group/complex of closely-related species within the genus. This assemblage mostly comprises small, red-coloured fishes with the exceptions of B. persephone and B. miniopinna which are darkish. Identifying some of the red ones correctly is not always easy as the patterning in them can be both similar and confusingly variable. In B. brownorum and B. livida, for example, both male and female individuals may or may not possess a green lateral blotch.

B. burdigala is exceptionally rare in the hobby with many fishes traded or pictured as such being B. uberis or other congener. It's included in the Betta coccina group/complex of closely-related species within the genus. This assemblage mostly comprises small, red-coloured fishes with the exceptions of B. persephone and B. miniopinna which are darkish. Identifying some of the red ones correctly is not always easy as the patterning in them can be both similar and confusingly variable.

B. chloropharynx is included in the Betta waseri group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage which also includes a handful of potentially new species such as B. sp. 'Medas' on an unofficial basis. The easiest way to distinguish these is by examining the throat markings which vary according to species. In this case the lighter of these form a shape that roughly resembles a horizontal figure of ei...

B. coccina can be told apart from other members by the following combination of characters: iridescent green lateral blotch present in male, absent in female; body dark red in colour; no parallel vertical iridescent gold opercle bars; pelvic fin falcate with black filamentous tip, remainder red; median fins with discrete iridescent green spots; dorsal fin-rays 9-12; anal-fin rays 27-29; subdorsal scales 7-8; lateral scales 31-32; predorsal scales 18-21. The genus Betta is the most speciose within the family Osphronemidae with almost 70 reco...

The type locality is a stream in a forest swamp with dense growth of Barclaya motleyi at intervals, part of which had been turned over to cultivation of rubber trees in 1997. The water depth varied between 5-80 cm, pH was 5.8 and syntopic species included 'Puntius' banksi, Rasbora einthoveni, Trigonopoma pauciperforatum, Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus, Betta pugnax, Sphaerichthys osphromenoides, Trichogaster trichopterus, Channa gachua and C. lucius.