Nemacheilidae

Key to nemacheilid genera of the Western Ghats 1. Caudal fin rounded.......................................................................... Indoreonectes Caudal fin emarginate, truncate, or forked.................................................................. 2 2. Caudal fin emarginate or truncate........................................................................ 3 Caudal fin forked...................................................................................... 4 3. Incomplete lateral line, reaching at most above pelvic fin; suborbital-flap replaced by suborbital groove; upper lip with several rows of papillae, lower lip strongly papillated with broad median interruption and pad on each side; dorsal-fin origin anterior to pelvic-fin origin; absence or presence of pelvic-fin lobe; conspicuous ocellus at upper extremity of caudal-fin base; presence of adipose crest; body with vertically elongated blotches along lateral line, series of elongated circular or irregular blotches on body................................................................................. Paracanthocobitis Incomplete lateral line, ending before, or after pelvic fin; mouth moderately arched; lower lip with median interruption; vertical, thin, black bar at base of caudal fin; absence, or rudimentary pelvic-fin lobe; presence, or absence of adipose crest; black spot on dorsal-fin origin; thick, dark vertical band on body................................................. ’ Schistura’ 4. Presence of adipose crest; absence of caudal and dorsal-fin bands; lateral line extend beyond anal fin; head sharp and bluntly pointed; modified pectoral-fin rays, thick segmentation on first unbranched and branched fin-rays, pectoral-fin rays covered by membrane; upper lip with narrow deep incision and lower lip with wide interruption; lower adipose crest reaching anal-fin base; single row of spots on lateral line; no uniform banding pattern on dorsal side, yellowish-brown ground color, all fins hyaline................................................................................................ Koima Absence of adipose crest; presence of caudal and dorsal-fin bands............................................... 5 5. Lip with large papillae; Lateral line complete; large and elongate head; lips fleshy, separated by deep groove; upper lip with median groove, with 2–4 large papillae on either side; lower lip with deep median groove, 2–4 large papillae on either side; 12–20 brown dorsal bars, extending across lateral line; beige to pale-yellow ground colour............. Nemachilichthys Lips deeply furrowed, or strongly pleated.................................................................. 6 6. Lateral line beyond anal-fin origin; deeply furrowed lips, lower lip with deep median interruption; free chamber of air bladder rudimentary; well-developed axillary pelvic lobe; forked caudal fin; roundish spot at middle of caudal base; irregular network of dark-brown and yellowish-white bars and stripes on body, often fragmented into discrete spots, with darker pigmentation prevailing over lighter hues.............................................................. Mesonoemacheilus Complete, or incomplete lateral line; lower lip with median interruption, lips strongly pleated; colour pattern consisting of black stripe, or series of disconnected blotches on lateral line, and series of saddles along dorsal mid line; dorsal and caudal fin with series of black dots.......................................................................... Nemacheilus