Fish Fauna of Asan River and Its Tributaries, Western Doon Valley, Dehradun (Uttarakhand), with Conservation Status of Species and Threats - Aquatic Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation - page 247

Maximum Size
2.0 m, commonly 17.5 cm; weight 9.0 kg.
Reported to reach 150 cm in total length and gain
a maximum weight of 68 kg (Thomas 1897 vide
Talwar and Jhingran 1991 ). Considered a long-
living species for 10 years (Desai 2003 ).

Family: Nemacheilidae
Genus: Acanthocobitis Peters, 1861

29. Acanthocobitis botia (Hamilton, 1822)
Cobitis botia Hamilton, 1822. Fish. Ganges :
350-351, 394 (type locality: rivers of the
northeastern parts of Bengal).
Nemacheilus botia Husain, 2003 . Faun. Asan
Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 : 23-26
(Asan reservoir, seepage nala, Asan River
above Kunja Grant and below its barrage).

Distribution

Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Chamoli, Dehradun,
Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri and Uttarkashi districts;
Kumaon Division: Almora, Nainital and
Pithoragarh districts. Corbett Tiger Reserve and
Rajaji National Park.

English Names
Mottled Loach, Sand Loach, Striped Loach.

Local Names
Baktia, Gadera, Ghiwa, Nauni.

India
Sub-Himalayan range, Ganges and Narmada river
systems; Assam and all along the foothills of the
Eastern and Central Himalayas as far as Yamuna
system, higher reaches of the Mahanadi in Odisha
and Vindhya and Satpura ranges (Madhya Pradesh).
Buxa, Adma and Jayanti rivers (West Bengal) and
Tungabhadra river (Karnataka/Andhra Pradesh).

Localities Surveyed
Asan River above Kunja Grant below Asan
Barrage at Dhalipur, Herbertpur, villages
Fatehpur and Partitpur near Herbertpur,
Sabhawala, Bhaironwala, Sahaspur, Selakui,
Bhurpur near Jhajra and Chandrabani; seepage
nala below barrage; small stream near Asan
Barrage, Dhalipur; Asan reservoir.
Small stream, culvert No. 28/2, Ridapur
near Sahaspur; Bhur nadi, Bhurgaon; Naro
nadi, Langha; Tons nadi near Premnagar and
Robber's cave; Nimi nadi, Paundha; Nun nadi,
Jaintanwala.

Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and
Pakistan.

Habitat and Ecology
Inhabits rivers and lakes, also in rapid streams
with rocky bottom. Grows better in a river with a
rocky bottom. Omnivorous feeds on fi lamentous
algae, chironomid larvae, water beetles and crus-
taceans. Travels towards headwaters at the start
of the rainy season for breeding and downstream
at the end of the rainy season. Spawns from
March to September, over stones and gravel.

Diagnostic Characters
D. 3/9-11, P. 1/11, V. 1/7, A. 2-3/5, C. 19.
Nostrils close to each other, anterior nostril
simple, not tubular; lips papillose; caudal fi n
emarginated; scales conspicuous, reduced on
chest; lateral line complete or if incomplete
reaching to anal opening or little beyond. Body
pale with 10-12 short, blackish twisted bands on
lateral sides, descending to below the lateral line,
interrupted in young, broken up into patches in
adults and scattered irregularly; dorsal fi n orange,
with row of black spots; dorsal fi n with 5-6
oblique zigzag narrow bands; a black ocellus,
encircled with white, on upper half of the caudal
fi n base; caudal fi n with 5-7 posteriorly directed
V-shaped dark bands.

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, near threatened.

Threats
Destruction of habitat due to various develop-
mental projects.

Remarks
Of commercial, aquaculture and game interest.