PlanetCatfish.com - Glyptothorax cavia (Sisoridae) Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Sisoridae Sisorinae Glyptothorax | |

Collected from the Kosi River, Nepal
Sankosh river, West Bengal,India
Sankosh river, West Bengal,India
Closeup of the thoracic adhesive apparatus.
Ventral view

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Glyptothorax cavia** (Hamilton, 1822)
Common Name	Heart Throat Catfish
Type Locality	Patgong, northern Bengal, India.
Synonym(s)	Euglyptosternum lineatum, Glyptosternum cavia, Glyptothorax burmancius, Glyptothorax lineatus, Pimelodus cavia
Pronunciation	Gleep toe thor axe - caa vee a
Etymology	The generic name comes from the Greek glyptos, meaning carved, and thorax, meaning breastplate (or the part of the body covered by it), in reference to the folds of skin comprising the thoracic adhesive apparatus.
Species Information
Size	165mm or 6.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Sisorid catfishes of the genus Glyptothorax Blyth are benthic inhabitants of torrential waters of rivers and streams in montane and submontane parts of tropical Asia. The members of the genus are adapted to attach themselves to rocks and boulders against strong currents by means of a thoracic adhesive apparatus comprising grooves and folded pleats of skin parallel or oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body. The genus has a wide distribution, ranging from Turkey and Syria in the west, to India and China in the east, and extending further southeastward to Indonesia. With 84 nominal species, Glyptothorax are the most speciose genus of catfishes in Asia (Eschmeyer et al., 1998, Ng, 2005); 67 species were treated as valid by Thomson & Page (2006). G. cavia is distinct in having the following combination of characters: body depth at dorsal fin origin 25.7-26.0% SL; head high, its depth at nape 68.3-69.5 and at eye 51.8-54.3% HL; upper jaw tooth band: A-P extent 20.4-21.6 and lateral extent 43.5-44.5% HL, A-P extent 47.3-48.6% its lateral extent, its lateral extent equal to that of lower band; teeth band on lower jaw: divided only by narrow partition that is not projecting, its A-P extent 9.5-10.2 and lateral extent 43.2-44.5% HL; thoracic adhesive apparatus with a deep pit, its length 47.1-48.5% HL;caudal fin forked; skin sparsely granulated, with dark brown spots.
Sexing	Not known.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Pakistan Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Myanmar Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Bangladesh Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2009.
Other Parameters	The water should be cool and heavily oxygenated with a good flow as these fish occur in hill streams. Anything above 25 C will hamper long term survival as these fish tend to burn away at higher temperatures.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Is known to take only live food like blood worms, frozen brine shrimp etc. Spot feeding will help in case tank mates are voracious feeders. User data.
Furniture	Fine sand for the bottom and smooth pebbles / rocks.
Compatibility	A peaceful species suitable for a hillstream biotope.
Suggested Tankmates	Cyprinids like Barilius and Danios and Balitorine loaches like Homaloptera species.
Breeding	Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges, pp 188, 378.
Registered Keepers	There are 3 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
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Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 6 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update	2020 Nov 08 03:09 (species record created: 2004 Dec 04 00:00)