Biology:Kryptoglanis shajii
| Kryptoglanis shajii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Kryptoglanidae Britz, Kakkassery & Raghavan, 2014[2] |
| Genus: | Kryptoglanis Vincent & J. Thomas, 2011[1] |
| Species: | K. shajii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Kryptoglanis shajii Vincent & J. Thomas, 2011[1]
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Kryptoglanis shajii is a species of subterranean catfish found in subsurface waters in the Western Ghats in Kerala, India . This cavefish grows to a length of 5.9 centimetres (2.3 in) SL.[1][3] It is currently the only known member of its genus and family.[2] Although first discovered from underground waters, it has also been seen in dense vegetation in paddy fields and was found to be common in this habitat in the Chalakudy.[4] The species strongly avoids light and feeds on small invertebrates.[4]
This genus and Horaglanis, both from the Western Ghats, are the only known underground-living catfish in India.[2][5]
Morphological characteristics
The morphology of K. shajii differs from all other known species of catfish and includes such features as the absence of dorsal fin; the presence of four pairs of barbels; an upwardly directed mouth, with a distinctly projecting lower jaw with 4 set of teeth; subcutaneous eyes; anal fin completely confluent with the caudal fin; anal and caudal fins together carry 70–74 fin rays; and no spines in any of the fins. These differences have led to its being assigned to its own family.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Vincent, Moncey; Thomas, John (April 2011). "Kryptoglanis shajii, an enigmatic subterranean-spring catfish (Siluriformes, Incertae sedis) from Kerala, India". Ichthyological Research 58 (2): 161–165. doi:10.1007/s10228-011-0206-6. Bibcode: 2011IchtR..58..161V.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Britz, Ralf; Kakkassery, Francy; Raghavan, Rajeev (6 April 2014). "Osteology of Kryptoglanis shajii, a stygobitic catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Peninsular India with a diagnosis of the new family Kryptoglanidae". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 24 (3): 193–207. http://www.pfeil-verlag.de/04biol/pdf/ief24_3_01.pdf.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). "Kryptoglanis shajii" in FishBase. February 2014 version.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Binoy; Roshan; Rakesh (2012). "Occurrence of Kryptoglanis shajii, an enigmatic subterranean-spring catfish (Siluriformes, Incertae sedis) in the channels of paddy fields". Current Science 102 (2): 161.
- ↑ Babu, K.K.S. (2012). "Horaglanis abdulkalami, a new hypogean blind catfish (Siluriformes: Clariidae) from Kerala, India". Samagra CRIKSC Journal 8: 51–56.
Wikidata ☰ Q309629 entry
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