Pangio bhujia Anoop, Britz, Arjun, Dahanukar & Raghavan, 2019

Family:  Cobitidae (Spined loaches)
Max. size:  2.64 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia: India.
Diagnosis:  Anal soft rays: 6-6; Vertebrae: 62-63. This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the absence of the dorsal fin, pectoral-fin rays 3; anal-fin rays 6; segmented caudal-fin rays 12-13; caudal vertebrae 23-24; differs from all other Pangiospecies except P. fusca, P. apoda, P. pulla, P. lidi by the absence of pelvic fins; differs further from all species of Pangio except P. bitaimac, P. cuneovirgata, P. doriae, P. filinaris, P. fusca, P. lidi, P. longimanus, P. ammophila by the presence of a long nasal barbel (Ref. 121819).
Biology:  The species was collected from a six-meter-deep homestead well that is used for drinking and irrigation purposes, as well as from a channel (<0.4m depth) connecting a pond to an adjacent paddy field located ca. 200 m away from the well; the pond with laterite rock walls had a substrate with a mix of sand and clay and covered with decayed leaves. Individuals with eggs were collected from the channel with reduced water flow. Species also occurring in the channel and paddy field included Pseudosphromenus cupanus, Channa striata, Rasbora dandia, and Aplocheilus lineatus (Ref. 121819).
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 26 September 2020 (B1ab(ii,iii)) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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