Creteuchiloglanis arunachalensis Sinha & Tamang, 2015

Family:  Sisoridae (Sisorid catfishes), subfamily: Glyptosterninae
Max. size:  8.71 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater; depth range 0 - 1 m
Distribution:  Asia: At present known only from the Pange River in Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): -0; Dorsal soft rays (total): -7; Anal spines: -0; Anal soft rays: -6. Diagnosis: predorsal lenght 35.7% SL; prepelvic lenght 45.4% SL; prepectoral length 19.0% SL; lengths of pectoral-fin 23.1% SL, dorsal-fin 16.1% SL and caudal-fin 15.0% SL; caudal-peduncle length 8.9% SL; length of adipose-fin base 25.9% SL and anal-fin base 6.6% SL; maxillary barbel length 71.2% HL; caudal-peduncle depth 8.9% SL; post adipose distance 10.1% SL; inner 19.1% HL mandibular barbel length and outer 32.1% HL ; pectoral fin not reaching pelvic-fin origin; pelvic fin not reaching at vertical through adipose-fin origin; pale patches on body except occipital region; rectal lobe tip obtusely rounded; caudalfin lobes equal; posterior margin of caudal fin slightly convex; adipose-fin separate from caudal fin; 1st principal ray of the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin moderately extending away from the base; and caudal fin with broad bean-shaped medial band (Ref. 96853). Description: head depressed, slightly longer than broad, dorsum with thick and smooth skin, superficialis muscle of cranium prominent and elevated; body elongate, depressed anteriorly, widest at pelvic-fin origin; dorsal profile rising abruptly from snout tip to level of nostril, then evenly to occipital base, thereafter gently convex to dorsal-fin origin, followed by almost horizontal to adipose-fin origin; further, evenly sloping to end of adipose-fin base and very slightly rising to origin of 1st procurrent ray, resulting in lowest caudal-peduncle depth at end of adipose-fin base; ventral profile almost flat to anal-fin origin, then rising gently to posterior end of anal-fin base and thereafter descending very gently to origin of first procurrent ray; body moderately compressed from operculum to posterior end of pelvic fin followed by more acute compression up to caudal-fin base; anus and urogenital openings situated nearer to anal-fin origin (26.2% Pl-A Length) than to pelvic-fin origin and equal to internarial distance; gill opening short, originating at point anterodorsal to upper end of pectoral-fin base and restricted to middle of its base; operculum margin folded ventrally giving a smooth and thick appearance; branchiostegal rays 4; 4 pairs of barbels; maxillary barbel with broad base, triangular when expanded, dorso-ventrally flattened with broad base and small pointed tip, ventral surface plicated, tip reaching base of 1st branched ray of pectoral fin, 2 types of projections on ventroposterior margin, about 1/3 proximal part consisting lobulate projections (cylindrically rounded) and distal small and rounded; lateral mandibular barbel slender with pointed tip, postero-laterally directed, extending more than halfway to pectoral-fin origin; medial mandibular barbel shorter and more posteriorly directed than lateral barbel, originating slightly anteromedial to it; nasal barbel with broad base and pointed tip, with small flap of thin skin fringing posterior margin, postero-laterally directed, reaching almost anterior to orbital margin; anterior naris rounded and posterior naris tubular; mouth inferior and transverse; jaws equal; lips thick and fleshy, densely covered by rounded, ovoid, and irregular elevated papillae, more dense in lower lip; postlabial fold well developed, extending from level of upper lip to below medial mandibular barbel base, followed by broad interruption between the barbel bases; post labial fold densely covered with elevated and rounded papillae; lower lip not connected to base of maxillary barbel by a skin flap, sulcus present between lip and base; region between posterior margin of lower lip and pectoral-fin origin more densely papillated medially; rounded papillae uniformly distributed in area between pectoral-fin bases; eye small, almost round, subcutaneous, and dorsally situated between anterior margin of naris and posterior end of operculum; dorsal fin soft and with bulbous base, devoid of spine, with i, 6 rays, origin nearer to snout tip than caudal-fin base, almost 1/3 of SL, 2nd branched ray longest, height almost equal to body depth at dorsal-fin origin, anterior margin very gently convex, tip of adpressed fin slightly exceeds vertical through posterior end of pelvic-fin base; adipose fin with long base, anterior and dorsal margin very gently arched throughout, posterior end slightly incised; caudal fin oar-shaped, posterior margin slightly convex, with i, 7, 6, i principal rays; anal fin soft, elliptic with ii, 4 rays, anterior base slightly bulbous, anterior margin straight, origin slightly posterior of vertical through middle of adipose fin; pelvic fin soft with i, 5 rays, origin at vertical through end of dorsal-fin base, anterior base slightly bulbous, anterior margin moderately convex, posterior margin evenly rounded, tip of adpressed fin not reaching anterior margin of anus but almost reaching vertical through adipose-fin origin, first element lanceolate, thick and flattened, ventral surface with numerous 41 plicae; pectoral fin, soft, devoid of spine with i, 14 rays, 1st element elongate leaf shaped, thick and dorso-ventrally flattened, ventral surface with 54 plicae, anterior margingently convex upto middle of first element and then straight upto tip; posterior margin evenly rounded; adipose-fin base shorter than predorsal length; caudalpeduncle depth greater than anal-fin base, but shorter than pectoral- and dorsal-fin bases; distance between pectoral- and pelvic-fin origins almost equal to pelvic-fin origin and posterior end of anus; distance between anal-fin origin to caudal fin base shorter than distance between anal-fin to pelvic-fin origins; distance between pelvic-fin to anal-fin origins longer than that between pectoral-fin to pelvic-fin origins (Ref. 96853). Coloration: in preservative; head and body light brownish gray except ventral region which is light milky white from snout tip to abdominal region, then light yellow to anal-fin origin followed by light brown to caudal-fin base; dorsal surface of body with light yellow patches: 1 small patch on the base of 1st dorsal-fin ray and another (somewhat bigger) at its posterior end, 1 small elliptical patch each on anterior and posterior base of adipose fin, 1 each on upper and lower caudal-fin base; anterior margin of dorsal fin dark brown, distal dusky and others hyaline; adipose fin light brown throughout the length except light milky white distal margin; caudal fin with brown base and broad bean-shaped light-yellow medial band, followed by black band distally; anal fin with anterior and distal margin dusky and others hyaline; dorsum of pectoral and pelvic fins light brownish yellow medially and hyaline distally, ventral surface milky white more on first element and others light milky white; maxillary barbel light brownish gray; nasal barbel light milky white except anterior margin and tip region which is black; lateral and medial barbel light milky white (Ref. 96853).
Biology:  Inhabits various substrata such as gravel, cobbles or medium to large boulders, and green algae on substratum, in low to moderately deep (40-80 cm) running water. Habitat is characterized by cool, clear and moderate to swift running water. River bank is composed of bamboo and other trees, without aquatic vegetation. running water moderate to swift, cool and clear (Ref. 96853).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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