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Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Batasio merianiensis  (Chaudhuri, 1913)
Common Name Royal Bengal Tiger (Indian)
Type Locality Pond at Mariani Junction, Brahmaputra River drainage, northeastern Assam, India.
Synonym(s) Macrones merianiensis
Pronunciation bah tah see oh - meh ria nee en sis
Etymology The genus name comes from the local (Bengali) name of the fish (batasio or batashi). This species is named after its type locality.
Down Species Information
Identification The bagrid genus Batasio Blyth comprises of small, laterally compressed catfishes distributed in South and Southeast Asia, diagnosed from its confamilials in having large sensory pores on the head, a narrow mental region, a pair of posteriorly-directed processes on the anterior part of vomer, a transversely-elongated bar-like entopterygoid, and the metapterygoid in close contact with the quadrate but free from the hyomandibular (Mo, 1991).

Batasio merianiensis is diagnosed from congeners in having a combination of the following characters: length of adipose-fin base 16.9–22.2 % SL, dorsal fin when appressed not reaching anterior origin of adipose fin, body depth at anus 15.2–18.4% SL, caudal peduncle depth 9.7–11.5% SL, eye diameter 18.3–25.9% HL, vertical dark brown bars on head and body, and absence of dark mid-dorsal stripe.
Sexing Not known.
General Remarks See also Redescription of Batasio merianiensis, a catfish (Teleostei:Bagridae) from northeastern India,Heok Hee Ng.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution Asia: India.
Indian waters, North Eastern India Waters, Padma, Jamuna, Brahmaputra (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters, Assam State Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category
Data Deficient
, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2009.
Temperature 20.5-25.0°C or 68.9-77°F (Show species within this range)
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.
Down Husbandry Information
Feeding Is known to take processed food but prefers live food like blood worms, frozen brine shrimp etc. Needs sometime to gradually get weaned off live foods. Spot feeding will help in case tank mates are voracious feeders. User data.
Furniture Fine sand for the bottom and smooth pebbles / rocks. Cover / hiding spots can be created with either plants or wood.
Compatibility A peaceful species suitable for a hillstream biotope.
Suggested Tankmates Peaceful Cyprinids like Puntius or Oreichthys and Balitorine loaches like Schistura or Nemacheilus species.
Breeding Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Down Further Information
Reference Records of the Indian Museum (Calcutta) v. 8 (pt 3), pp 253, Pl. 9 (figs. 1, 1a-b).
Registered Keepers There are 3 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
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There are 4 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2020 Oct 28 16:17 (species record created: 2009 Aug 16 03:25)