Synonyms:

Schistura porthos Kottelat, 2000

original description

Vernacular names:

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Etymology:

The generic name ‘schistura’ is a compound of two Greek words; ‘skhizeîn’: to split, ‘oura’: tail; an allusion to a forked caudal fin; gender: feminine.

Specific epithet ‘porthos’ is a dedication name to one of Alexandre Dumas’ ‘Three Musketeers’; a noun in apposition.

Size / Weight:

67mm SL, EPC 0673, EW-CN 83-10, Nanxinghe River, Mekong basin, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China (largest specimen collected, ME, 2010-06-03).

24.1 - 85.8 mm SL, type series, Louangnamtha Province, Laos (Kottelat, 2000).

Diagnosis:

Complete lateral line; body massive, head broadly triangular from above; hump in front of dorsal origin in individuals over 60 mm SL; caudal peduncle very deep, 0.9-1.1 times longer than deep.

Coloration: Body with 9-17 bars, much wider than interspaces, of quite regular width but irregularly organized, often fused two by two along dorsal midline, or upper or lower part missing; black bar at caudal-fin base complete, wide, with anterior and posterior projections where it reaches dorsal and ventral midlines; dorsal fin with 2-3 blotches along base; dark marks on fin rays of all fins (Kottelat, 2000).

Sex differentiation:

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Distribution:

In Nanxinghe River 南醒河, a tributary of Luosuojiang River, Mekong basin,

Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China (ME, 2010-06-03).

Rivers Nam Ngiap, Nam Khan, Nam Xuang, Nam Ou and Nam Tha, Mekong basin, northern Laos (Kottelat, 2000).

Ecology:

Alike all Schistura in loose groups, permanently foraging.

Omnivorous with a tendency towards insectivorous.

Occurring in Nanxinghe River, EW-CN 83-10, a eutrophied stream, 40 m broad, 1 m deep, some potholes with 2 m depth, slow - moderate current, few riparian primary rain forest remaining, vast plantations with rubber trees, surrounding hills with primary forest not bordering river, few riffles with fast current; no vascular submerse plants visible; bottom: rocks, boulders, pebbles, mud up to 20 cm deep; conditions referring to high water levels at rainy season.

Sintopic with the nemacheilids Schistura macrocephalus Kottelat, 2000, Schistura sp. N26 and Physoschistura meridionalis (Zhu, 1982). EW-CN 83-10 is a rather speciose biotope; 23 distinct species of fish have been identified at the moment.

Water: Highly turbid, mud colored; water parameters: 30 ºC in 20 cm depth, 8.1 pH, 290 µS/cm; sunny weather (ME, 2010-06-01, 15:00).

Conservation status:

IUCN Red List not evaluated.

Aquarium maintenance:

no reports available.  

Remarks:

This is the first report of S. porthos in Chinese waters.