Hemibarbus maculatus BLEEKER, 1871

Spotted Steed

SynonymsTop ↑

Barbus semibarbus Günther, 1889; Acanthogobio paltschevskii Nikolskii, 1904; Hemibarbus joiteni Jordan & Starks, 1904; Hemibarbus longibarbis Fang, 1938

Etymology

Hemibarbus: from the Ancient Greek ἡμι- (hēmi-), meaning ‘half’, and the generic name Barbus, to which members appear similar.

maculatus: from the Latin maculatus, meaning ‘spotted’, in allusion to this species’ colour pattern.

Classification

Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae

Distribution

Widepread in eastern Asia between the Yangtze and Amur river basins, including China (mainland and islands of Taiwan and Hainan), Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and Japan. It probably been introduced to Vietnam and Laos, or records from these countries represent another species.

Type locality is ‘Chang Jiang [Yangtze River], China’.

Habitat

Predominantly a riverine fish preferring clear, well-oxygenated, running waters with substrates of sand, gravel, rock or mud.

Maximum Standard Length

300 – 400 mm.

Diet

Wild individuals are known to feed on benthic crustaceans, insects and molluscs.

Reproduction

In nature breeds between May and June with eggs deposited among aquatic vegetation.

NotesTop ↑

This species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: 7-11 large blackish spots on each flank; body deep with clearly convex dorsal profile; head length shorter than body depth; snout length shorter or equal to postorbital head length; lips not developed, lateral lobes of lower lip narrow, without folds, the median process large and marked; barbel length ½-⅔ of eye diameter; dorsal spine strong, equal to HL, last simple ray ossified and thicker than branched rays; origin of dorsal fin closer to tip of snout than caudal-fin base; 6½ branched anal-fin rays.

References

1. Bleeker, P., 1871 - Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen (Amsterdam) v. 12 (art. 2): 1-91
   Mémoire sur les cyprinoïdes de Chine.
2. Bogutskaya, N. G. , A. M. Naseka, S. V. Shedko, E. D. Vasil'eva and I. A. Chereshnev, 2008 - Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 19(4): 301-366
   The fishes of the Amur River: updated check-list and zoogeography.
3. Kottelat, M., 2013 - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 27: 1-663
   The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibiography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries.
4. Kottelat, M., 2006 - The World Bank. Washington, DC.: i-xi + 1-103
   Fishes of Mongolia. A check-list of the fishes known to occur in Mongolia with comments on systematics and nomenclature.
5. Kottelat, M., 2001 - Environment and Social Development Unit, East Asia and Pacific Region. The World Bank: i-iii + 1-123 + 1-18
   Freshwater fishes of northern Vietnam. A preliminary check-list of the fishes known or expected to occur in northern Vietnam with comments on systematics and nomenclature.
6. Kottelat, M., 2001 - WHT Publications, Colombo: 1-198
   Fishes of Laos.
7. Yue, P. Q., 1995 - Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 20(1): 116-123
   A revision of the cyprinid fishes of the genus Hemibarbus in China (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae).