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 259

Sexual Dimorphism: Female larger and
stouter with prominent urinogenital papilla and
dull in colouration, while male smaller and lean
with feebly developed papilla and bright in
colour.

English Names
Tire-Track Spiny Eel, Zigzag Eel.

Local Names
Bam, Baam, Guj.

Maximum Size
18.0 cm.

Localities Surveyed
Asan River above Kunja Grant, below barrage, at
Bairagiwala and near Herbertpur; small stream
near Asan Barrage, Dhalipur; Asan reservoir.
Tons nadi, Premnagar; Nimi nadi, Paundha.

Distribution

Uttarakhand
Garhwal Division: Dehradun and Haridwar dis-
tricts; Kumaon Division: Nainital district.

Diagnostic Characters
D. 33-40/67-82, P. 0/24, A, 3/67-83, C. 17.
Body eel-like, preopercle with 2-3 spines,
preorbital spine strong, mouth small with sharp
teeth on both jaws, spinous dorsal fi n origin
above the pectoral fi n, dorsal and anal fi ns con-
tinuous with caudal fi n; body greenish brown
with zigzag markings, a row of black spots along
the base of the soft dorsal fi n, dorsal and anal fi ns
banded or spotted, pectoral fi n spotted.

India
Throughout. Peninsular India, Odisha (Chilka
Lake), Maharashtra, West Bengal and Western
Ghats.

Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

Habitat and Ecology
Inhabits slow and shallow waters of rivers of
plains and estuaries; never available above an
altitude of 366 m. Also found in canals, streams,
lakes, ponds and inundated fi elds. It stays on bot-
tom and spawns in the upper water level. The
more slender and generally smaller males pursue
the female in courtship; several males may
join in.

Maximum Size
90.0 cm; weight 500 g.

Distribution

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

Conservation Status
IUCN Red List, least concern.

India
Jammu and Kashmir (Tawi river and its tributar-
ies), Kerala (Arikayam puzha, Karimpuzha,
Kabani and Kallar rivers), Maharashtra (Vashishti
river and Dhom reservoir), Odisha (Chilka Lake),
Tamil Nadu (Moyar, Chammanaar, Tamiraparani
and Bhavani rivers) and West Bengal (Adma,
Buxa and Jayanti rivers).

Remarks
Of minor fi shery value, also kept in aquaria by
hobbyists.
Genus: Mastacembelus Scopoli, 1777

44. Mastacembelus armatus (Lacepede, 1800)
Macrognathus armatus Lacepede, 1800 . Hist.
Nat. Poiss ., 2: 286 (type locality: not known).
Mastacembelus armatus Husain, 2003 . Faun.
Asan Wetland, Wetland Ecosystem Series 5 :
23-26 (Asan reservoir, Asan River above
Kunja Grant and below its barrage).

Elsewhere
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.