Puntius kelumi Pethiyagoda, Silva, Maduwage & Meegaskumbura, 2008
Red eye barb
Puntius kelumi
photo by Ramani Shirantha

Family:  Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps), subfamily: Smiliogastrinae
Max. size:  8.29 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia: Kelani, Kalu, Bentara, Gin, and Nilwala river drainages in Sri Lanka.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-12; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Differs from all congeners from Sri Lanka and the peninsula of India by the following combination of characters: last unbranched dorsal-fin ray smooth; body depth 28.6-35.5% SL; 2 maxillary barbels, about as long as eye diameter; scales on lateral line 20-23; scales in transverse line from mid-dorsum to pelvic-fin origin ½3/1/2½ ; posterior profile of mid-body lateral-line scales medially notched; and sides of head and body of breeding males rough, scattered extensively with tubercles (Ref. 79817).
Biology:  Inhabits mainly larger, clear-water streams descending from the central mountains, close to the areas in which these reach the coastal floodplain. Substrates of the these streams are composed of granite, pebble or sand (Ref. 79817).
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 26 July 2019 (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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