Lepidocephalichthys Eleios

📖 Overview

Facultative air-breathing in the genus ; Three sampling sites of this species are characterized by deep water, very slow current, dense shore vegetation, large extents of floating mats of plants, and bottom composed of mud or clay covered with a layer of vegetal debris. Collected from leaf litter, from among the dense vegetation or by scraping the underside of the 'floating' vegetation using a tray net . The following fish species were collected in the same micro-habitat: Oreichthys sp., Pethia erythromycter, Heteropneustes fossilis, Chaudhuria sp., Mastacembelus pantherinus, Monopterus cuchia, Indostomus paradoxus, Badis corycaeus, Dario hysginon .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal soft rays: 8. Lepidocephalichthys eleios differs from all its congeners by lacking any modifications of the pectoral-fin rays in males. Pectoral fin has 7-8 rays which are adjacent with narrow or without membrane between them and in males, these are separate, not fused and have no dorsal or ventral projections. This species is also distinguished from congeners by the following characters, but not unique to it: body with irregular midlateral row of irregularly set small spots, sometimes forming a stripe; body with middorsal row of 9-12 saddles, reaching downwards to about ¼ of body depth, sometimes regular, sometimes irregularly shaped and of unequal density, wider than interspaces; arched black band at base of principal caudal-fin rays (no ocellus or black spot at caudal-fin base); caudal fin with pigments on rays and membranes forming 2-3 very irregular bars, posterior one along distal margin, bars irregularly in contact or fused, leaving variously shaped unpigmented patches; postlabial flange very long and narrow; head scaleless; caudal fin truncate to slightly emarginate .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Lepidocephalichthys Eleios is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Lepidocephalichthys Eleios is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Lepidocephalichthys Eleios is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

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