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Jim Makin (1) Christian Hauzar (2) Beta Mahatvaraj (1)

This is one of the larger species in this genus of mothcats as can be seen in the common name. Habitat: It is known from the middle and upper Brahmaputra River drainage in northeastern India. Aquarium Care: A tank with a sandy bottom and rounded stones and pebbles with a good water flow as befits an asian hillstream setup. Good water quality is a must for this family. Keep the water temperature on the cool side of a tropical aquarium. Tank mates such as mediam sized barbs will make good tankmates. Diet: Prefers live foods such as bloodworm, grindle worm, white worm and daphnia. Etymology: Erithistes, Etymology not explained, presumably erethizon, porcupine and–istes, adjectival suffix, i.e., porcupine-like, referring to strong and serrated dorsal and pectoral-fin spines. The species epithet horai is in honour of ichthyologist Sunder Lal Hora (1896-1955), Zoological Survey of India, whose figured example (1950) of H. hara probably served as a basis of this species.presumably a local Bengali name for this catfish in India. Remarks: Still listed as Hara horai in Fishbase and a few other online sources but this name is treated as a synomyn in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. Whilst there is limited information on the species ecology, distribution and threats, it has a relatively wide distribution in the Brahmaputra basin and there are no known widespread threats to the species, it is assessed as Least Concern (IUCN 2010, needs updating).

Elongate Moth Catfish

Hara horai

Sisoridae

Asia: Terai and Duars in north Bengal, India.

7.0cm. (2¾ins)

18-24°C (63 -75°F)

6.5-7.2.

Adrian Taylor: pers. comm.
Ng, H.H. 2010. Hara horai. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.