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Myanmar Freshwater Fishes |
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Description of Some Aquarium Fishes
Family DASYATIDAE :
STINGRAYS
Some species of stingrays enter freshwater, and have adapted as the freshwater species. All of the species of stingrays are producing eggs that hatch within the parent's body, thus scientifically known as "ovoviviparous". Simply, it can be said that these stingrays are live-bearer. Aquarists should be very much aware that the spines present on the tail can be rather dangerous and can inflict painful wounds. Previously, there were three genera of stingrays which were available in inland water of Asia (Compango and Roberts,1982), but now one more genus was discovered in 2007, and this genus is "Makararaja Roberts,2007"(Roberts, T.R. (2007): Makararaja chindwinensis, a New Genus and Species of Freshwater Dasyatidid Stingray from Upper Myanmar. The Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 54 (2) (2006). The new genus, Makarraraja, recently erected by Roberts, is related to the genus Pastiachus. The outstanding characters of the genus Makararaja is nearly round disc, and dorsal surface with very small pearl organs and denticles. The tail is long, and with low-lying fin fold. The meaning of the scientific name of the genus Makararaja comes from Sanskrit, Makara which means jaw of crocodile, and Latin word, raja means skate or rayfish. The only species of the genus, Makararaja in Myanmar is, "Makararaja chindwinensis" and its type locality is Chindwin River, upper Myanmar. The meaning of the specific name chindwinensis refers to the locality of the new species of the rays, Chindwin River.
Family Notopteridae
(Fetherbacks)
. The fishes in this family have deep and strongly compressed body, their abdomen are serrated before pelvic fins. Their eyes are large, dorsolateral in position. Mouths of the fishes are wide and no barbels. Dorsal fin is small and slender, anal fin is long and narrow, and confluent with a reduced caudal fin. Pelvic fins very small. Scales are very small, and lateral line complete. In Asia and Southeast Asia, there are two genera for the family, Notopteridae, and they are: Chitala and Nototerus. Myanmar has only one species, which belong to the genus, Notopterus.
Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769)
Grey feather back (OR) Knife Fish
Picture by Ye Hein Htet (Hein Aquarium)
Original Description: Gymnotus notopterus Pallas,1769, Spicil. Zool., 7:40, pl. 6, fig. 2.
Type specimen: Gymnotus notopterus
Type locality: ? Indian Ocean
Distribution: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia
Habitat: Found in freshwater of south and southeast Asia.The fish occurs in standing and sluggish water of lakes, floodplains, canals, and ponds.
Character: Body is oblong and strongly compressed. Head is also compressed and it's length is 22% of standard length. Dorsal fin inserted nearer snout-tip than to base of caudal fin. Pectoral fins is moderate, extend beyond anal fin origin. Anal fin continuous with caudal fin. Scales are tiny on the body, but considerably larger on opercles. The color is silvery white, with scattered fine grey spots on the body and head. The maximum length is 400 mm.
Sex differences: No external morphological character can be observed.
Aquarium keeping: The fish may be best keep in species tank of the size 120 x 45 x 45 cm. The water quality should be,: pH 5.5 – 7, dH 6º , and the temperature 24º – 28ºC.
Spawning: Not recorded in Myanmar for spawning in an aquarium.
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