Scientific Name- Lepidocephalus thermalis
(Valenciennes, 1846)
Common Name- Spiny loach, Malabar loach
Local Name- Baghi
Classification
| Class | Osteichthyes |
| Sub-Class | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Cyprinifonnes |
| Family | Cobitidae |
| Sub family | Cobotinae |
| Genus | Lepidocephalus |
| Species | thermalis |
Habits and habitat
Lepidocephalus thermalis fish is found in rivers and its associated canals. It occurs in floodplain area, ditches, tanks, chaurs, and beels. Mostly found in Champaran,Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani and a few in other north districts of Bihar. Inhabits in flowing and standing water with sandy bottom and with plants.
Salient features
This species is having peculiar and specific body charactrestics. They select very specific habitat conditions. The body is elongated and cylindrical. This species is having a pattern of spots arranged all along its body with 9-10 blotches regular in line. Caudal fin is with 4-5 rows of dots appearing as a black semi circular bands and dorsal fin with black dots in oblique line. The body have greyish colour above
and olive below. It is found moving in groups. It looks very attractive in group. They stay on bottom and hide in the rocks, gravels etc. It feeds on algae, plant matters, plankton and aquatic insects.
It is slow movers and having curly movment and is found attached to the substratum.It attains a length of 8cm.
source-
- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore
