AquaticRepublic.com - Pterocryptis anomala (Siluridae) All Fishes

Close-up of head
Close-up of head

All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Pterocryptis anomala** (Herre, 1933)
Common Name
Type Locality	Market in Hong Kong.
Synonym(s)	Herklotsella anomala, Parasilurus anomalus, Pterocryptis gilberti, Silurus anomalus, Silurus gilberti
Pronunciation	Terr oh krip tiss - ah no mah la
Etymology	The generic name comes from the Greek pteron, meaning fin, and kryptos, meaning hidden; in reference to the small dorsal fin.
Species Information
Size	171mm or 6.7" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Catfishes of the genus Pterocryptis Peters, 1861, are medium-sized members of the Siluridae usually found in fast-flowing mountain streams throughout India, southern China and Southeast Asia. Pterocryptis had been considered a junior synonym of Silurus Linnaeus, 1758, until its rediagnosis by Bornbusch (1991). There are 16 nominal species of Pterocryptis (Ng & Freyhof, 2001). They can be distinguished from other siluroids by having a small dorsal fin, upper jaw longer than the lower jaw and a confluent anal and caudal fin with a distinct notch between them. Pterocryptis anomala can be distinguished from congeners by the unique combination of the following characters: length of dorsal fin 7.9–10.1% SL, depth of caudal peduncle 7.2–9.7% SL, head length 16.6–20.7% SL, eye diameter 9.2–13.7% SL, dorsal-fin rays 3–4, anal-fin rays 59–69, principal caudal rays 14–16, small conical genital papilla in both sexes, anal and caudal fins separated by a deep notch, narrow cheeks, circular eye and weakly contrasting mottled coloration.
Sexing	Spine in males with broad and somewhat flattened dorsoventrally, with 5–9 serrations on posterior edge, increasing in size distally; proximal articulated segments with 0–6 serrations on posterior edge. Spine in females or juveniles slender, with 0–7 small serrations on posterior edge, and 0–3 serrations on posterior edges of proximal articulated segments.
General Remarks	See also Revalidation and redescription of Pterocryptis anomala (Herre, 1933), a catfish (Teleostei: Siluridae) from southern China, Heok Hee Ng & Bosc P.-.Chan.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Asia: Minjiang and Zhujiang (Pearl River) drainages southwards to the streams draining the territory of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. China Waters, Yangtze, Jinsha (Upper Yangtze), Minjiang (Sichuan) (click on these areas to find other species found there) China Waters, Zhujiang (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2011.
Husbandry Information
Furniture	Prefers boulder-strewn, fast-flowing streams. A nocturnal species which hides among rocks and submerged plant roots during the day.
Compatibility	Fish species typically found syntopically with P. anomala include Parazacco spilurus spilurus, Psuedograstromyzon myersi, Liniparhomaloptera disparis disparis, Schistura fasciolata, Oreonectes platycephalus and Rhinogobius duospilus.
Breeding	Unreported.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Hong Kong Naturalist v. 4 (no. 2), pp 179.
Registered Keepers	There is no registered keeper.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There is but a single record of this fish being seen, view it.
Forum BBCode

	Look up P. anomala on PlanetCatfish.com
	Look up P. anomala on Fishbase
	Look up P. anomala on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up P. anomala on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.7.265.1457
Last Update	2025 Jan 02 01:39 (species record created: 2005 Jan 29 00:00)