Vol. 110 - Part III - Zoological Survey of India
Vol. 110 - Part III - Zoological Survey of India Vol. 110 - Part III - Zoological Survey of India
Rec. zool. Surv. India : 110(Part–3) : 35-36, 2010FIRST RECORD OF ERETHISTES HARA (HAMILTON, 1822) (SILURIFORMES :ERETHISTIDAE) FROM MADHYA PRADESH, INDIAJ. THILAK AND PRAVEEN OJHAZoological Survey of India, Central Zone Regional Centre168/169, Vijay Nagar, Jabalpur-482 002 (Madhya Pradesh)INTRODUCTIONSiluriformes is an important order of Pisces,comprising of approximately 2,000 species pertainingto 30 families. They are mostly confined to freshwater,but some are marine. Siluroid fishes are devoid of scalesand are popularly termed as Cat-fishes, due to thepresence of feelers or long barbels arranged aroundthe mouth. These fishes appear to use their feelers inmoving about in muddy places, and consequently haveless use for their eyes than forms that reside in clearwater. In some freshwater as well as marine forms, themales appear to carry the ova in their mouths perhapsuntil the young are produced. These fishes are creditedwith causing poisonous wounds. They are capable ofatmospheric respiration also (Day, 1889).The family Erethistidae are commonly known as the‘Moth Cats’ because of their colour pattern of the finsas being very like moth’s wings. Head is osseous above,somewhat depressed. Mouth small, gill opening narrow,eyes small. Nostrils close together, separated by a smallbarbel. Barbels eight. First dorsal fin arising slightlyinfront of the ventrals, having a serrated spine and fiveor six branched rays. Adipose dorsal present. Ventralwith six rays. Pectoral with a serrated spine.While working on the Pisces of Madhya Pradesh,the authors came across two interesting specimens of‘Moth Cats’ identified as Erethistes hara (Hamilton,1822) belonging to family Erethistidae. Globally, thisfamily is represented by 6 genera and about 25 species(De Pinna, 1996). However, only 9 species are reportedfrom India (Jayaram, 2006). Erethistes hara (Hamilton)is so far reported by Jayaram (1981, 2006); Lipton(1985); Ataur Rahman (1989) and Mamnur Rashid, et.al.(1997).Erethistes hara (Hamilton, 1822)
36 Rec. zool. Surv. IndiaHead of Erethistes hara (Hamilton, 1822)Erethistes hara (Hamilton, 1822)Material examined : Madhya Pradesh, Kuanri river,Morena Distt., 05. I. 1995, (1ex.) Coll. H.S.Sharma; Reg,no.V-4446; Mahanadi River, VijayRaghavgarh, KatniDistt., 17. I. 2009, (1ex.), Coll. J.Thilak. Reg, no.V-4771.Diagnostic Features / Description : The body lengthof the specimen was measured 2.5 cm and 2.8 cm. Bluntspiny ossicles present in the skin. Pectoral spine shorter(0.5cm.) than head length. Occipital process, cleithralprocess, scapular process all prominent and naked.Humeral process prominent on ventral side. 4 pairs ofbarbels. Rayed dorsal fin with 5 rays and a spine. Acombination of brown and cream vertical bands afterthe posterior dorsal fin. Maxillary and mandibularbarbels with alternate black and brown bands.Distribution : Ganges, Brahmaputra & Irrawaddydrainages in northeast India, Bihar, North Bengal,Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors are thankful to Dr. Kailash Chandra,Scientist ‘F’ & Officer-in-Charge, Central Zone RegionalCentre, Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur, forproviding the facilities and encouragement.REFERENCESAtaur Rahman, A.K.A. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh. Zoological Society of Bangladesh. Department ofZoology, University of Dhaka. 364 pp.Day, F. 1889. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Fishes- Vol.I, 548 pp. London : Taylor andFrancis.De Pinna, M.C.C. 1996. A phylogenetic analysis of the Asiancatfish families Sisoridae, Akysidae and Amblycipitidae,with a hypothesis on the relationships of the neotropical Asprenidae (Teleostei, Ostariophysi). Fieldiana(Zool.), 84 : 1-82.Hamilton, F. 1822. An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches. 1-VII, 1-405, pls. 1-39.Archibald, Constable & Co., Edinburgh Hurst, Robinson & Co., London.Jayaram, K.C. 1981. The Freshwater Fishes of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma and SriLanka. ZoologicalSurvey of India, Calcutta, 475 pp., pls. 1–13.Jayaram, K.C. 2006. Cat fishes of India. Narendra Publishing House , New Delhi, 383pp, Plates-XI, Figs. 163.Lipton, A.P. 1985. Fish fauna of Tripura. Matsya, 9–10, 110–118.Mamnur Rashid, M., Aminul Haque, A.K.M. & Rahman, A.K.A. 1997. A checklist of ichthyofauna of the RiverDharla of Fulbari (Kurigram). Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science, 26, 133–140.
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Rec. zool. Surv. <strong>India</strong> : <strong>110</strong>(<strong>Part</strong>–3) : 35-36, 2010FIRST RECORD OF ERETHISTES HARA (HAMILTON, 1822) (SILURIFORMES :ERETHISTIDAE) FROM MADHYA PRADESH, INDIAJ. THILAK AND PRAVEEN OJHA<strong>Zoological</strong> <strong>Survey</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>India</strong>, Central Zone Regional Centre168/169, Vijay Nagar, Jabalpur-482 002 (Madhya Pradesh)INTRODUCTIONSiluriformes is an important order <strong>of</strong> Pisces,comprising <strong>of</strong> approximately 2,000 species pertainingto 30 families. They are mostly confined to freshwater,but some are marine. Siluroid fishes are devoid <strong>of</strong> scalesand are popularly termed as Cat-fishes, due to thepresence <strong>of</strong> feelers or long barbels arranged aroundthe mouth. These fishes appear to use their feelers inmoving about in muddy places, and consequently haveless use for their eyes than forms that reside in clearwater. In some freshwater as well as marine forms, themales appear to carry the ova in their mouths perhapsuntil the young are produced. These fishes are creditedwith causing poisonous wounds. They are capable <strong>of</strong>atmospheric respiration also (Day, 1889).The family Erethistidae are commonly known as the‘Moth Cats’ because <strong>of</strong> their colour pattern <strong>of</strong> the finsas being very like moth’s wings. Head is osseous above,somewhat depressed. Mouth small, gill opening narrow,eyes small. Nostrils close together, separated by a smallbarbel. Barbels eight. First dorsal fin arising slightlyinfront <strong>of</strong> the ventrals, having a serrated spine and fiveor six branched rays. Adipose dorsal present. Ventralwith six rays. Pectoral with a serrated spine.While working on the Pisces <strong>of</strong> Madhya Pradesh,the authors came across two interesting specimens <strong>of</strong>‘Moth Cats’ identified as Erethistes hara (Hamilton,1822) belonging to family Erethistidae. Globally, thisfamily is represented by 6 genera and about 25 species(De Pinna, 1996). However, only 9 species are reportedfrom <strong>India</strong> (Jayaram, 2006). Erethistes hara (Hamilton)is so far reported by Jayaram (1981, 2006); Lipton(1985); Ataur Rahman (1989) and Mamnur Rashid, et.al.(1997).Erethistes hara (Hamilton, 1822)