Arrow loach (Nemacheilus masyai)

Scientific name: Nemacheilus masyai Smith, 1933

The Arrow loach (Nemacheilus masyai) is a freshwater fish of the family Balitoridae. Native range: Asia, western Malaysia, Peninsular Thailand, the Meklong and part of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya basins. Likely to occur in the Mekong basin.

Biology

Dorsal soft rays (total): 13; Anal soft rays: 8. Distinguished from all other species of nemacheilines in Indochinese area by its color pattern consisting of a light background with 14-18 dark blotches along sides and 12-17 dark saddles along the back, a black spot at posterior extremity of lateral line and a black spot on anterior dorsal rays at about one fourth of ray length. From the closely related N. pallidus, it is distinguished by a slender body (body depth 12.6-17.6% SL versus 14.8-19.1), eye situated more on the top of head (interorbital width 4.9-6.8% SL, versus 5.7-8.0; and darker and wider markings (spots and saddles usually wider than interspaces, versus thinner).

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Nemacheilus masyai
Family
Balitoridae (River loaches)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
13.5
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: western Malaysia, Peninsular Thailand, the Meklong and part of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya basins. Likely to occur in the Mekong basin.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Aquarium: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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