SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Gagata sexualis Tilak, 1970

Image contributors to this species:

Allan James (1) KU Natural History Museum (1) Arnob Bora (2)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6; Vertebrae: 36 - 38. Filamentous extension of dorsal-fin spine in males, reaching to adipose-fin base. Mouth located at level of anterior margin fo orbit. Snout bluntly rounded in lateral profile without notch anteriorly. Upper jaw toothless; lower jaw with single row of teeth. Anal fin with 4-5 simple rays, 12-14 branched rays, posterior 2 rays very close together. Aquarium Care: This is a peaceful species which would be better kept in a group of about 6 specimens with plenty of swimming space. Provide good filtration and aeration. Provide a sand substrate with plants as an option. Diet: Live, frozen and tablet foods. Etymology: The specific name sexualis: Latin for sexual, only member of genus known at time of description known to be sexually dimorphic.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

Gagata youssoufi

Family:

Sisoridae

Distribution:

Asia: Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins. Type locality: North Koel River at Daltonganj (Chotanagpur), South Bihar, India.

Size:

5.0cm. (2ins)

Temp:

23-26°c (73-79°f.)

p.H.

6.5-7.2.

IUCN Red List

Although there is little information on the global population and its trend for this species, there is a marked decline in its population in Nepal due to destructive fishing practices. However, it is still a relatively common species in India with no perceptible threats currently, although more research is needed in this area. Therefore Gagata sexualis is assessed as Least Concern at the present, but needs updating, (IUCN 2010).

Reference:

Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl, 1991. Aquarien atlas. Bd. 3. Melle: Mergus, Verlag für Natur-und Heimtierkunde, Germany. 1104 p.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.
Ng, H.H. 2010. Gagata sexualis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.
Roberts, T.R. and C.J. Ferraris Jr., 1998. Review of South Asian sisorid catfish genera Gagata and Nangra, with descriptions of a new genus and five new species. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 50(14):315-345.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

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

Gagata sexualis

Gagata sexualis
Dibru river, Assam, India

Gagata sexualis
Female-Maguri wetland Tinsukia Assam, October 2022

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.