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Scientific Name Batasio tengana  (Hamilton, 1822)
Common Name
Type Locality Tista River at Tista barrage, 26°45'10"N, 88°34'11"E, India.
Synonym(s) Gagata tengana, Macrones tengana, Pimelodus tengana
Pronunciation bah tah see oh - ten gan aa
Etymology The genus name comes from the local (Bengali) name of the fish (batasio or batashi). 
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Size 90mm or 3.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification The bagrid genus Batasio Blyth comprises of small, laterally compressed catfishes distributed in South and Southeast Asia, diagnosed from its confamilials in having large sensory pores on the head, a narrow mental region, a pair of posteriorly-directed processes on the anterior part of vomer, a transversely-elongated bar-like entopterygoid, and the metapterygoid in close contact with the quadrate but free from the hyomandibular (Mo, 1991).

Batasio tengana can be distinguished from all congeners except B. pakistanicus and B. spilurus in having a shorter adipose-fin base (14.5–17.5 vs 22.1–35.1% LS) and the presence (v. absence) of a dark mid-dorsal stripe. Batasio tengana appears to reach a smaller size than other congeners (maximum size to c. 55 v. to 101mm LS), except for B. pakistanicus and B. spilurus, which are known to reach 35 and 45mm LS respectively. Batasio tengana differs from B. pakistanicus in the pectoral fin rays not reaching (v. reaching) the pelvic-fin origin, and from B. spilurus in having a longer adipose-fin base (14.5–17.5 vs 12.6–12.8% LS), a deeper caudal peduncle (6.7–8.2 v. 5.7–6.2% LS) a narrower head (12.5–14.5 vs 16.4–16.5% LS), and a more rounded, bulbous snout when viewed laterally.
Sexing Males with a long, slender genital papilla extending to base of second anal-fin ray.
General Remarks See also The identity of Batasio tengana (Hamilton, 1822), with the description of two new species of Batasio from north-eastern India (Teleostei: Bagridae) H. H. Ng.
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Distribution Asia: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand.
Thailand Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Myanmar Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters, North Eastern India Waters, Padma, Ganges (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters, Assam State Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters, Bengal Waters, West Bengal Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters, North Eastern India Waters, Padma, Jamuna, Brahmaputra (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2009.
pH 6.0 - 7.5
Temperature 23.0-26.0°C or 73.4-78.8°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters dH 20. The water should be cool and heavily oxygenated with a good flow as these fish occur in hill streams.Anything above 25 C will hamper long term survival as these fish tend to burn away at higher temperatures.
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Feeding Is known to take processed food but prefers live food like blood worms, frozen brine shrimp etc. Needs sometime to gradually get weaned off live foods. Spot feeding will help in case tank mates are voracious feeders. User data.
Furniture Fine sand for the bottom and smooth pebbles / rocks. Cover / hiding spots can be created with either plants or wood.
Compatibility A peaceful species suitable for a hillstream biotope.
Suggested Tankmates Peaceful Cyprinids like Puntius or Oreichthys and Balitorine loaches like Schistura or Nemacheilus species.
Breeding Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges, pp 176, 377, Pl. 39 (fig. 58).
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2020 Sep 28 08:19 (species record created: 2005 Jul 02 00:00)