''Horabagrus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Horabagridae Horabagridae is a proposed family of catfishes containing three genera, ''Horabagrus'', ''Platytropius'' and ''Pseudeutropius''. ''Horobagrus'' has been more usually assigned to the family Bagridae and sometimes it has been suggested it is close ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to rivers in the Western Ghats in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. ''H. brachysoma'' is an important food fish and members of this genus can be found in the aquarium trade.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Horabagrus'' is usually classified under the family

Bagridae The Bagridae are a family of catfish that are native to Africa (''Bagrus'') and Asia (all other genera) from Japan to Borneo. It includes about 245 species. These fish are commonly known as naked catfishes or bagrid catfishes. Many large bagrids ...

, but there are disagreements. The genus name is after the Indian zoologist

Sunder Lal Hora Sunder Lal Hora (22 May 1896 – 8 December 1955) was an Indian ichthyologist known for his biogeographic theory on the affinities of Western Ghats and Indomalayan fish forms. Life Hora was born at Hafizabad in the Punjab (modern day Pa ...

. Though listed under Bagridae, ''Horabagrus'' is not listed under either of the two Bagrid subfamilies by the All Catfish Species Inventory. In Nelson (2006), the genus is provisionally placed in the family

Schilbeidae Schilbeidae is a family of catfishes native to Africa and Asia. These fish tend to swim in open water. Schilbid catfishes usually have dorsal fins with a short base and a spine, but '' Parailia'' lack a dorsal fin altogether. Most species also ...

, where it is sometimes recognized as its own subfamily. In de Pinna (1998), this genus is classified as sister to the catfishes Pangasiidae and above, which would require a separate family. This genus has also been classified in its own family

. In a 2007 paper, ''Horabagrus'' was not classified under any current catfish families. In 2016, Wang ''et al.'' placed this genus in the family

Species

There are currently 2 recognized species in this genus: * ''

Horabagrus brachysoma ''Horabagrus brachysoma'' or the sun catfish is a species of catfish endemism, endemic to rivers in the Western Ghats of India. It is known as Günther's catfish or yellow catfish. It is also known as Manjakoori in its native range. It is also ...

'' ( Günther, 1864) (Günther's catfish) * '' Horabagrus nigricollaris'' Pethiyagoda & Kottelat, 1994 Horabagrus_brachysoma_Day

A third species, ''Horabagrus melanosoma'', was described in 2013, but later authorities considered it inseparable from ''H. brachysoma'' and therefore a junior synonym.Ali, Katwate, Philip, Dhaneesh, Bijukumar, Raghavan, and Dahanukar (2014). Horabagrus melanosoma: a junior synonym of Horabagrus brachysoma (Teleostei: Horabagridae). ZooTaxa 3881 (4).

In the aquarium

''H. brachysoma'' is a common fish in the aquarium trade. ''H. nigricollaris'' is more seldom seen because it is not commercially farmed like ''H. brachysoma'' . Nevertheless, the care for these two species is similar. These fish are adaptable and are not picky about water conditions; also, they are hardy and easy to feed. However, these fish are light-shy and require plants or decorations to hide underneath for darkness; these fish are relatively secretive during the day.

References

Horabagridae Bagridae Fish of Southeast Asia Endemic fauna of India Catfish genera Freshwater fish genera {{Siluriformes-stub