''Ellopostoma mystax'', the enigmatic loach,
is a small,
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
species of
freshwater fish
Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...
originally placed in the family
Balitoridae
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 ...
, but now generally in
Ellopostomatidae
''Ellopostoma'' is a small genus of loaches native to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geosch ...
.
''E. mystax'' is only found in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
in the basins of the
Tapi River and the
Pattani River
Pattani River ( th, แม่น้ำปัตตานี, ; ; ms, Sungai Patani; Jawi: سوڠاي ڤتنا) is a river in southern Thailand, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailan ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5635969
Ellopostomatidae
Fish of Thailand