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  • Glyptothorax malabarensis
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisVentral view
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisHabitat: Urutty Stream, Pottichapara,Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, India
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisHolotype
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisG. malabarensis (above) & G. anamalaiensis (below)
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisVentral view
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisDorsal view
  • Glyptothorax malabarensisDorsal view
  • Glyptothorax malabarensis
  • Glyptothorax malabarensis
Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Glyptothorax malabarensis  Gopi, 2010
Common Name
Type Locality Pottichapara, 11°58'12.4''N, 75°49'38.7''E, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Urutty Stream, Valapattanam River drainage, Kannur District, Western Gnats, Kerala, India.
Pronunciation Gleep toe thor axe - Mala baar ensis
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. The specific name malabarensis is derived from ‘Malabar’, an older name for the region of northern Kerala, in which this species occurs.
Hop to next section Species Information
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).

It is distinguished from its congeners in Peninsular India by the following combination of characters: body depth 19.6–9.9% SL, caudal peduncle length 14.3–14.7% SL and caudal peduncle depth 12.4–12.7% SL (caudal peduncle depth 86.4–88.1% of its length); thoracic adhesive apparatus approximately pentagonal, as long as broad, without a median depression; skin of head and body minutely granulated; and a coloration in life consisting of a black background with three flesh-red or orange transverse bands on body, in preservative changing to dark grey with black mottling and three yellowish-white transverse bands.
Sexing Not known.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Is presently known only from the type locality in the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (Urutty Stream, Valapattanam River drainage), Kannur District, Kerala, India.
Indian waters, Kerala State Waters, Valapattanam, Urutty (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Data Deficient, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2010.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Is known to take only live food like blood Worms, frozen brine shrimp etc. Spot feeding will help in case tank mates are voracious feeders. User data.
Furniture Fine sand for the bottom and smooth pebbles / rocks. Specimens of the type series were collected from submerged crevices formed by large boulders in an upland stream.
Compatibility A peaceful species suitable for a hillstream biotope.
Suggested Tankmates Cyprinids like Barilius and Danios and Balitorine loaches like Homaloptera species. Other species that are found in their natural habitat include Barilius bakeri,Garra mullya,Bhavania australis and Schistura denisoni denisoni.
Breeding Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Zootaxa No. 2528, pp 54, Figs. 1-2.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2019 Oct 13 03:38 (species record created: 2010 Jul 06 02:43)