PlanetCatfish.com - Rita kuturnee (Ritidae) Cat-eLog

Krishna Drainage, India
Close-up of head
Gravid female, Tungabhadra River, Karnataka,India
Male, Tungabhadra River, Karnataka,India

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Rita kuturnee** (Sykes, 1839)
Common Name	Deccan Rita
Type Locality	Deccan, India.
Synonym(s)	Arius hastatus, Arius pumilus, Phractocephalus kuturnee, Rita hastata
Pronunciation	REET ah - koo too er nee
Etymology	The name Rita is derived from the local name of the fish. The specific epithet comes from the local name of the fish, 'katarnaa'. Most of Sykes species are named after regional/local species names.
Species Information
Size	300mm or 11.8" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Bagrid catfishes of the genus Rita Bleeker, 1854 are found in large rivers throughout the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar, and are capable of reaching sizes to 1500 mm TL (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991), although mature specimens of ca. 200-300 mm SL are more commonly encountered. The genus is diagnosed by the following synapomorphies (Mo, 1991): single pair of mandibular barbels, elongated Weberian apparatus firmly sutured to the basioccipital, and the sensory canal on the posttemporal enclosed within the bone. Palatal teeth in two slender crescentic bands and dorsal spine smooth anteriorly, except for a few serrations at the base.
Sexing	Males have an elongate genital papilla in front of the anal fin.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Asia: Peninsular India from Deccan rivers up to Krishna river system. Indian waters, Kaveri (click on these areas to find other species found there) Indian waters, Andhra Pradesh State Waters, Krishna (click on these areas to find other species found there) Indian waters, Andhra Pradesh State Waters, Krishna, Tungabhadra (click on these areas to find other species found there) Indian waters, Karnataka State Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Indian waters, Andhra Pradesh State Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2010.
pH	6.0 - 7.0
Temperature	22.0-27.0°C or 71.6-80.6°F (Show species within this range)
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Readily eats all manner of live and prepared foods. Will eat smaller fishes. User data.
Furniture	Provide plenty of driftwood as hiding places.
Compatibility	Although a fairly peaceful fish, it will eat smaller tankmates and is therefore best kept only with large, robust fishes. Larger cyprinids (e.g. Osteochilus) and larger spiny eels (Mastacembelus) are ideal tankmates.
Breeding	Not reported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1838 (pt 6) (for 27 Nov. 1838), pp 164.
Registered Keepers	There is but a single registered keeper, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is but a single wish to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 6 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode

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	Look up R. kuturnee on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.247.136.1033
Last Update	2020 Sep 28 04:54 (species record created: 2003 May 27 00:00)