Glyptothorax Blyth

Heok Hee Ng, 2005, Glyptothorax botius (Hamilton, 1822), a valid species of catfish (Teleostei: Sisoridae) from northeast India, with notes on the identity of G. telchitta (Hamilton, 1822)., Zootaxa 930, pp. 1-19 : 1-2

[[ Genus Glyptothorax Blyth ]]

Glyptothorax Blyth, 1860 is a diverse (84 nominal species), widely distributed genus of sisorid catfish known from Asia Minor (in the Tigris and Euphrates River drainages) east- and southwards to the Yangtze River drainage and southeast Asia. Members of the genus are diagnosed in having a thoracic adhesive apparatus comprising an elliptical field of folded longitudinal pleats of skin, a detached distal portion of the premaxilla, and long and thin lateral arms of the vomer that extend under the entire length of the articular process of the lateral ethmoid (de Pinna, 1996). The genus is very diverse in the Indian subcontinent (29 of the 84 nominal species are known from there), although the taxonomy of Indian Glyptothorax is poorly understood.

During recent ichthyological surveys of northeast India, two species of Glyptothorax were obtained from the Ganges River drainage. One of the species was referable to G. telchitta (Hamilton, 1822) , but the second morphologically similar species was not readily identifiable. Further investigation revealed that the second species is referable to G. botius (Hamilton, 1822) , and that the identities of the two species have been confused for some time. The objective of this study is to clarify the identities of these two species and to redescribe them. Neotypes are also designated for Pimelodus telchitta Hamilton, 1822 and Pimelodus botius Hamilton, 1822 to fix the taxonomy of these species.