All Fishes ⇒ Sisoridae ⇒ Sisorinae ⇒ The genus Glyptothorax

Hop to next section Summary of glyptothorax
Pronounced Gleep toe thor axe
Etymology The generic name comes from the Greek glyptos, meaning carved, and thorax, meaning breastplate (or the part of the body covered by it), in reference to the folds of skin comprising the thoracic adhesive apparatus.
Identification Sisorid catfishes of the genus Glyptothorax Blyth are benthic inhabitants of torrential waters of rivers and streams in montane and submontane parts of tropical Asia. The members of the genus are adapted to attach themselves to rocks and boulders against strong currents by means of a thoracic adhesive apparatus comprising grooves and folded pleats of skin parallel or oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body. The genus has a wide distribution, ranging from Turkey and Syria in the west, to India and China in the east, and extending further southeastward to Indonesia. With 84 nominal species, Glyptothorax are the most speciose genus of catfishes in Asia (Eschmeyer et al., 1998, Ng, 2005); 67 species were treated as valid by Thomson & Page (2006).
Breeding Unreported in the aquarium.
Size Smallest 32mm, largest 900mm, average 122mm, most commonly 100mm. All SL.
Species There are 140 "species" in the database
New spp. / time
1750 1770 1790 1810 1830 1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 
Distribution

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