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Batasio tengana (Hamilton, 1822)

Image contributors to this species:

Beta Mahatvaraj (4) Arnob Bora (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Habitat: The specimen pictured was collected in Torsa River near Cooch Behar town in West Bengal. Batasio species are small, laterally compressed bagrid catfishes generally found in fast-flowing hill streams throughout South Asia, Myanmar, the Salween and Mae Khlong drainages of Thailand and the northern Malay Peninsula. Description: They are diagnosed (together with Chandramara) from other members of the Bagridae in possessing large sensory pores on the head, a narrow mental region, the transversely elongated, bar-like entopterygoid, and the close contact of the metapterygoid with the quadrate (Mo, 1991). Batasio is distinguished from Chandramara by the absence (vs. presence) of a pair of prominent posterior processes on the anterior part of the vomer. Differs from all other species in body having four or five saddle shaped oblique bands. Etymology: The genus name Batasio: from the local (Bengali) name of the fish (batasio or batashi). The specific name tengana: presumably local Bengali name for this species in India. Remarks: Close to B. batasio but differs as above.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Bagrus tengana, Gagata tengana, Macrones tengana, Pimelodus tengana

Family:

Bagridae

Distribution:

Asia: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand.

Size:

7.0cm (2¾ins)

Temp:

24-27°C (75-81°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.0.

IUCN Red List

Batasio tengana is distributed in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins in India, Nepal and possibly Bangladesh indicating a fairly large distribution. However, the population size and trend for this species remain unknown, and it is only known from scanty museum records. There is also very little information on the biology of this species and potential impacts of threats (especially those of an anthropogenic nature). Based on its wide distribution it is currently assessed as Least Concern, but needs updating (IUCN 2010).

Reference:

Heok Hee Ng & Maurice Kottelat. 2007. Batasio feruminatus, a new species of bagrid catfish from Myanmar (Siluriformes: Bagridae), with notes on the identity of B. affinis and B. fluviatilis.
K.C. Jayaram. 2006, Catfishes of India. Narendera Publishing House. 383p.
Ng, H.H. 2010. Batasio tengana (errata version published in 2020). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

Family: Bagridae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Batasio tengana

Batasio tengana

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