Cobitoidea
Loaches are fish of the superfamily Cobitoidea. They are freshwater, benthic (bottom-dwelling) fish found in rivers and creeks throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. Loaches are among the most diverse groups of fish; the 1249 known species of Cobitoidea comprise about 107 genera divided among 9 families. Etymology The name Cobitoidea comes from the type genus, ''Cobitis'', described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. However, its origin predates modern zoological nomenclature and derives from a term used by Aristotle to refer to "small fishes that bury... like the gudgeon." Description Loaches display a wide variety of morphologies, making the group difficult to characterize as a whole using external traits. They range in adult length from the 23 mm (1 in) miniature eel-loach, ''Pangio longimanus'', to the 50 cm (20 in) imperial flower loach, ''Leptobotia elongata'', with the latter weighing up to 3 kg (6.6 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cypriniformes
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches, and relatives. Cypriniformes is an Order within the Superorder Ostariophysi consisting of "Carp-like" Ostariophysins. This order contains 11-12 families, although some authorities have designated as many as 23, over 400 genera, and more than 4,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized frequently.Eschmeyer, W.N., Fong, J.D. (2015Species by family/subfamilyin the Catalog of Fishes, California Academy of Sciences (retrieved 2 July 2015) They are most diverse in southeastern Asia, and are entirely absent from Australia and South America.Nelson (2006) At 112 years old, the longest-lived cypriniform fish documented is the bigmouth buffalo. Their closest living relatives are the Characiformes ( characins and allies), the Gymnotiformes (electric eel and American knifefishes), and the Siluriformes (catfishes). Description Like other or ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cobitidae
Cobitidae, also known as the True loaches, is a family of Old World freshwater fish. They occur throughout Eurasia and in Morocco, and inhabit riverine ecosystems. Today, most "loaches" are placed in other families (see below). The family includes about 260 described species. New species are being described regularly.Perdices, A., Bohlen, J., Šlechtová, V. & Doadrio, I. (2016): Molecular Evidence for Multiple Origins of the European Spined Loaches (Teleostei, Cobitidae). ''PLoS ONE, 11 (1): e0144628.'' Description and ecology The body forms of the Cobitidae tend to be vermiform – worm-shaped, long and thin. Most true loaches do not have true scales, and like many other Cypriniformes or catfishes, they have barbels at their mouths (usually three to six pairs). Some other traits typically found in this family are a small bottom-facing mouth suited to their scavenging benthic lifestyle, an erectile spine below the eye, and a single row of pharyngeal (throat) teeth. True ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Family (biology)
Family ( la, familia, plural ') is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between order and genus. A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae, but that family is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". What belongs to a family—or if a described family should be recognized at all—are proposed and determined by practicing taxonomists. There are no hard rules for describing or recognizing a family, but in plants, they can be characterized on the basis of both vegetative and reproductive features of plant species. Taxonomists often take different positions about descriptions, and there may be no broad consensus across the scientific community for some time. The publishing of new data and opini ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Acantopsis
''Acantopsis'' is a genus of freshwater fishes, commonly known as horseface loaches or banana-root fishes, in the family Cobitidae.Boyd, D. A., Nithirojpakdee, P., Deein, G., Vidthayanon, C., Grudpan, C., Tangjitjaroen, W., Pfeiffer, J. M., Randall, Z. S., Srisombat, T. & Page, L. M. (2017)Revision of the horseface loaches (Cobitidae, Acantopsis), with descriptions of three new species from Southeast Asia.Zootaxa, 4341(2), 151-192. Fishes of the genus ''Acantopsis'' inhabit sandy riverbeds throughout Southeast Asia. The common horseface loach, '' A. rungthipae'', is popular in the aquarium trade. Species There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:Fricke, R., Eschmeyer, W. N. & R. van der Laan (eds) 2018. CATALOG OF FISHES: GENERA, SPECIES, REFERENCES. (http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp). Electronic version accessed 28 Sep 2018. * '' Acantopsis dialuzona'' van Hasselt, 1823 (Piglet horseface loach) * '' Acantopsis sp ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hillstream Loach
The hillstream loaches or river loaches are a family, the Balitoridae, of small fish from South, Southeast and East Asia. The family includes about 202 species. They are sometimes sold as "lizardfish" or (in Germany) "flossensaugers". Many of the species are popular for aquaria, species in the genus ''Sewellia'' are most commonly sold in the aquaria trade. They have a number of similarities with the Cobitidae, their sibling family of "loaches", such as multiple barbels around the mouth. They should not be confused with the loricariids, which look similar but are a family of catfish. Most species are rheophilic, living in swift, clear and well-oxygenated streams. Several species of the family live in fast-flowing streams or torrents and have modified ventral fins used for clinging to rocks. The subfamily Nemacheilinae has recently been separated as a distinct family, Nemacheilidae (stone loaches) and several genera have been separated into the family Gastromyzontidae The Gast ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spined Loach
The spined loach (''Cobitis taenia'') is a common freshwater fish in Europe. It is sometimes known as spotted weather loach, not to be confused with the "typical" weather loaches of the genus ''Misgurnus''. This is the type species of the spiny loach genus ('' Cobitis'') and the true loach family (Cobitidae). Description The spined loach typically reaches an adult length of , although females may grow up to . Adults weigh between . Their backs feature a yellow-brown colouring interspersed with many small grey or brown scales on the spinal ridge. The scales on the belly are pale yellow or orange. The body overall is long and thin. There are 6 barbels around the mouth. Under the eyes there is a two-pointed spike, with which the fish can inflict a painful sting. Distribution and relationships It is found from the Volga River basin to France. Generally it occurs across much of temperate Europe north of the Alpide belt, with the exceptions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and northern ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Barbel (anatomy)
In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and some species of shark such as the sawshark. Barbels house the taste buds of such fish and are used to search for food in murky water. The word "barbel" comes from the Middle Latin ''barbula'', for "little beard." Barbels are sometimes erroneously referred to as '' barbs'', which are found in bird feathers for flight. Barbels may be located in a variety of locations on the head of a fish. "Maxillary barbels" refers to barbels on either side of the mouth. Barbels may also be nasal, extending from the nostrils. Also, barbels are often mandibular or mental, being located on the chin. In fish, barbels can take the form of small, fleshy protrusions or long, cylindrical shaped extensions of the head of a fish. The cylindrical barbel shapes are bui ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fish Scale
A fish scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of the skin of a fish. The skin of most jawed fishes is covered with these protective scales, which can also provide effective camouflage through the use of reflection and colouration, as well as possible hydrodynamic advantages. The term ''scale'' derives from the Old French , meaning a shell pod or husk. Scales vary enormously in size, shape, structure, and extent, ranging from strong and rigid armour plates in fishes such as shrimpfishes and boxfishes, to microscopic or absent in fishes such as eels and anglerfishes. The morphology of a scale can be used to identify the species of fish it came from. Scales originated within the jawless ostracoderms, ancestors to all jawed fishes today. Most bony fishes are covered with the cycloid scales of salmon and carp, or the ctenoid scales of perch, or the ganoid scales of sturgeons and gars. Cartilaginous fishes (sharks and rays) are covered with placoid scales. Some species are c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Leptobotia Elongata
''Leptobotia elongata'', the imperial flower loach, elongate loach or royal clown loach, is a species of botiid fish found in flowing water in the upper and middle Yangtze basin in China.SeriouslyFishLeptobotia elongata Retrieved 10 March 2017.Loaches OnlineLeptobotia elongata Retrieved 10 March 2017. It is the largest species in the family, reaching up to in length and in weight.Li, L.; Q. Wei Wei; J. Ming Wu; H. Zhang; Y. Liu; & X. Xie (2015). Diet of Leptobotia elongata revealed by stomach content analysis and inferred from stable isotope signatures. Environ Biol Fish 98: 1965–1978. . Formerly common, the numbers of this vulnerable species have declined because of overfishing, dams (limiting its breeding migration), habitat loss and pollution. The species is bred in captivity and a stocking project has been in place since 2010.Yang, K.; Zeng, R.; Gan, W.; Deng, L.; and Song, Z. (2016). Otolith fluorescent and thermal marking of elongate loach (Leptobotia elongata) at earl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pangio Longimanus
''Pangio'' is a genus of small Asian freshwater fish in the true loach family Cobitidae. In earlier taxonomic schemes it was known as ''Acanthophthalmus''. The "kuhli loach" is well-known in the aquarium trade and commonly identified as ''P. kuhlii'', but most individuals actually appear to be ''P. semicincta''. The type species is ''Cobitis cinnamomea'' McClelland 1839, now known as ''Pangio pangia''. These fish are best represented in Southeast Asia where all but five of the species live, including the Greater Sunda Islands with sixteen species. The five species found outside Southeast Asia are from India and Myanmar. They inhabit a wide range of mostly calm waters such as streams, swamps (often peat swamps) and backwaters, but there are also species in fast-flowing waters, and one, ''P. bhujia'', lives underground. Species There are currently 33 recognized species in this genus: * ''Pangio agma'' ( M. E. Burridge, 1992) * ''Pangio alcoides'' Kottelat & K. K. P. Lim, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Acantopsis Rungthipae
''Acantopsis'' is a genus of freshwater fishes, commonly known as horseface loaches or banana-root fishes, in the family Cobitidae.Boyd, D. A., Nithirojpakdee, P., Deein, G., Vidthayanon, C., Grudpan, C., Tangjitjaroen, W., Pfeiffer, J. M., Randall, Z. S., Srisombat, T. & Page, L. M. (2017)Revision of the horseface loaches (Cobitidae, Acantopsis), with descriptions of three new species from Southeast Asia.Zootaxa, 4341(2), 151-192. Fishes of the genus ''Acantopsis'' inhabit sandy riverbeds throughout Southeast Asia. The common horseface loach, '' A. rungthipae'', is popular in the aquarium trade. Species There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:Fricke, R., Eschmeyer, W. N. & R. van der Laan (eds) 2018. CATALOG OF FISHES: GENERA, SPECIES, REFERENCES. (http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp). Electronic version accessed 28 Sep 2018. * '' Acantopsis dialuzona'' van Hasselt, 1823 (Piglet horseface loach) * '' Acantopsis sp ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |