Scientific Name- Acanthocobitis botia
(Hamilton & Buchanan, 1822)
Common Name- Leopard- Loach
Local Name- Chitkabri Baghi
Classification
| Class | Osteichthyes |
| Sub-Class | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cypriniformes |
| Family | Balitoridae |
| Sub-family | Nemacheilinae |
| Genus | Acanthocobitis |
| Species | botia |
Habits and habitat
They are found in tanks, chaurs, mauns, floodplain area with aquatic plant. It occurs in rivers and canals with slow flowing water. Mostly found in inundated field, ditches. Reported from Sitamarhi, Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Samastipur and other districts of Bihar.
Salient feature
Body is elongated, round cylindrical. It has a pattern of spots all along it’s body. The ground colour of the body is olive to yellowish and light orange with regular rows of round or oval spots which are diffirent in size and form. Caudal fin has 4- 5 rows of dots appearing as a black line. A dark line runs at the base of the caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin has 5-6 oblique zigzag narrow dots bands. Head is marked with spot looking like a reticulated network of band which makes the fish very beautiful and attractive in aquarium.
This species is hardy and can sustain in bad condition, survives in extream high of temprature also. It is slow mover and shows curly movment. It feeds on plant matters, insects, plankton, larvae and organism. The details of its breeding habits are not known in capative condition. They breed in late summer with planted tanks. The young ones are attached to the plant with muddy bottom. It attains a length of 5-7cm.
source-
- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore
