Taxonomy of Finfish (1+2)

4.1.1.4 Family : Balitoridae (Loaches)

1. Body covered with small cycloid scales, greatly depressed ventral surface flattened
2. Body head and part (or) whole of ventral surface without scales
3. Gill openings either greatly restricted and situated above base of pectoral fins or of moderate size extending to ventral surface for a short distance
4. Gill membranes united with isthumus
5. Pseudobranchiae absent
6. Paired fins may or may not be horizontally placed with one or two simple unbranched rays
7. Lateral line well marked and complete
8. Operculum elongated and pre operculum reduced
9. Air bladder reduced, divided and enclosed in a bony capsule, formed by the dorsal nibs of the second and fourth vertebrae

Two subfamilies

Family Balitoridae, consist of two subfamily with 16 genera

Sub family i) Balitoridae ii) Nemacheilinae

Sub family i) Balitoridae

1. Body streamlined, moderately (or) greatly depressed, ventrally flattened

2. Pelvic and pectoral fins horizontally inserted

3. Pectoral fins with two simple rays

4. No spine under or before eye

It consist of 4 genera namely

1. Bhavania australis - single species
2. Homaloptera spp – which has 7 species
3. Travancoria spp – which has 2 species
4. Balitora spp – which has 3 species

ii) Sub family – Nemacheilinae

1. Pelvic and Pectoral fins not inserted horizontally

2. Only one ray, the outer most pectoral fin ray is simple

3. Dorsal fin moderately long with 7-20 rays

4. Upper part of caudal penduncle may be with an adipose ridge

It consist of 12 genera namely

1. Acanthocobitis sp – six species
2. Neemacheilus sp - 4 species
3. Neonoemacheilus sp – 3 species
4. Schistura sp - 63 species (including 5 sub species)
5. Longischistura sp - 2 species
6. Physoschistura sp - 5 species
7. Mesonoemacheilus sp -9 species
8. Nemachilichthys sp - 2 species
9. Triplophysa sp - 17 species
10. Oreonectes sp -2 species (Subgenera : Indoreonectes)
11. Aborichthys sp -4 species
12. Yunnanilus brevis – only one species