240
Barbels absent; dorsal spine strong, serrated posteriorly; lateral line complete or
incomplete, ceasing after the 6–8th scale,
15–17 scales afterwards. Silvery with a black
spot on the body above the pectoral fin and
another on the caudal peduncle, above the end
of the anal fin.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male with black-tipped
dorsal fi n; female lacks this colouration.
Maximum Length
10.0 cm.
Distribution
Uttarakhand
Garhwal
Division:
Chamoli,
Dehradun,
Haridwar, Pauri and Tehri districts; Kumaon
Division: Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh and
Udham Singh Nagar districts. Corbett Tiger
Reserve and Rajaji National Park.
India
Throughout except Kerala and South Tamil
Nadu; Chilka Lake, Chittar river basin, Odisha;
Hemavati and Yagachi rivers, Karnataka; Mondai
stream and Kundalika river, Maharashtra; and
Moyar river, Tamil Nadu; Western Ghats.
Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Laos, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Habitat and Ecology
Found in still, shallow, marginal waters of tanks
and rivers, mostly with muddy bottoms in plains
and submontane regions. They browse close to
the substrate in shallow water and feed on crustaceans, insects and plankton.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, least concern.
Remarks
It is a popular aquarium fi sh and can be kept in
groups of fi ve or more individuals in a mediumsized aquarium.
Genus: Schizothorax Heckel, 1838
11. Schizothorax richardsonii (Gray, 1832)
Cyprinus richardsonii Gray, 1832. Ill. Indian
Zool ., 1, pl. 94, fi g. 2 (type locality: India).
Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel, 1838. Fish.
Cashmir : 16, pl. 1 (type locality: Kashmir);
Badola, 2009 . Ichthyology of the Central
Himalaya : 43–45, text fi g.
Schizothorax sinuatus Heckel, 1838. Fish.
Cashmir : 16, pl. 1 (type locality: Kashmir);
Badola, 2009 . Ichthyology of the Central
Himalaya : 44–45, text fi g.; Uniyal, 2010 .
Pisces. In: Fauna of Uttarakhand. State Fauna
Series , 18(1): 567.
Schizothorax richardsonii Husain, 2003 . Faun.
Asan Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 :
23–26 (Asan reservoir).
English Names
Himalayan Barbel, Snow Trout.
Local Names
Asela, Sohal.
Localities Surveyed
Asan reservoir.
Diagnostic Characters
D. 2–4/8, P. 1/16, V. 1/9, A. 3/5, C. 19(10/9). L.l.
95–110.
Body subcylindrical; head oval; mouth inferior, transverse, slightly arched; lips thick, upper
smooth, lower fi nely papillated, modifi ed into a
sucker; barbels two short pairs, rostral and maxillary; dorsal fi n origin variable as regards to that
of the pelvics, caudal forked; scales minute, elliptical, anal base and around covered by tiled row
of enlarged scales, lateral line complete. Body
silvery with fi ne dark dots, dorsal and caudal fi ns
greyish, paired and anal fi ns yellowish.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male with snout covered
with tubercles, dorsal spine weak with feeble serrations on the posterior edge and anal sheath well
developed. Female with normal/smooth snout,
strong dorsal spine having prominent serrations
on the posterior edge and smaller anal sheath.
Maximum Size
60.0 cm.
A. Husain
Barbels absent; dorsal spine strong, serrated posteriorly; lateral line complete or
incomplete, ceasing after the 6–8th scale,
15–17 scales afterwards. Silvery with a black
spot on the body above the pectoral fin and
another on the caudal peduncle, above the end
of the anal fin.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male with black-tipped
dorsal fi n; female lacks this colouration.
Maximum Length
10.0 cm.
Distribution
Uttarakhand
Garhwal
Division:
Chamoli,
Dehradun,
Haridwar, Pauri and Tehri districts; Kumaon
Division: Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh and
Udham Singh Nagar districts. Corbett Tiger
Reserve and Rajaji National Park.
India
Throughout except Kerala and South Tamil
Nadu; Chilka Lake, Chittar river basin, Odisha;
Hemavati and Yagachi rivers, Karnataka; Mondai
stream and Kundalika river, Maharashtra; and
Moyar river, Tamil Nadu; Western Ghats.
Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Laos, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Habitat and Ecology
Found in still, shallow, marginal waters of tanks
and rivers, mostly with muddy bottoms in plains
and submontane regions. They browse close to
the substrate in shallow water and feed on crustaceans, insects and plankton.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, least concern.
Remarks
It is a popular aquarium fi sh and can be kept in
groups of fi ve or more individuals in a mediumsized aquarium.
Genus: Schizothorax Heckel, 1838
11. Schizothorax richardsonii (Gray, 1832)
Cyprinus richardsonii Gray, 1832. Ill. Indian
Zool ., 1, pl. 94, fi g. 2 (type locality: India).
Schizothorax plagiostomus Heckel, 1838. Fish.
Cashmir : 16, pl. 1 (type locality: Kashmir);
Badola, 2009 . Ichthyology of the Central
Himalaya : 43–45, text fi g.
Schizothorax sinuatus Heckel, 1838. Fish.
Cashmir : 16, pl. 1 (type locality: Kashmir);
Badola, 2009 . Ichthyology of the Central
Himalaya : 44–45, text fi g.; Uniyal, 2010 .
Pisces. In: Fauna of Uttarakhand. State Fauna
Series , 18(1): 567.
Schizothorax richardsonii Husain, 2003 . Faun.
Asan Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 :
23–26 (Asan reservoir).
English Names
Himalayan Barbel, Snow Trout.
Local Names
Asela, Sohal.
Localities Surveyed
Asan reservoir.
Diagnostic Characters
D. 2–4/8, P. 1/16, V. 1/9, A. 3/5, C. 19(10/9). L.l.
95–110.
Body subcylindrical; head oval; mouth inferior, transverse, slightly arched; lips thick, upper
smooth, lower fi nely papillated, modifi ed into a
sucker; barbels two short pairs, rostral and maxillary; dorsal fi n origin variable as regards to that
of the pelvics, caudal forked; scales minute, elliptical, anal base and around covered by tiled row
of enlarged scales, lateral line complete. Body
silvery with fi ne dark dots, dorsal and caudal fi ns
greyish, paired and anal fi ns yellowish.
Sexual Dimorphism: Male with snout covered
with tubercles, dorsal spine weak with feeble serrations on the posterior edge and anal sheath well
developed. Female with normal/smooth snout,
strong dorsal spine having prominent serrations
on the posterior edge and smaller anal sheath.
Maximum Size
60.0 cm.
A. Husain