Notes on Hemibagrus in Peninsular Malaysia

Fishes that was previously reported as Mystus Scopoli was redefined by Mo (1991), and as a result, most of the large-sized bagrid catfishes that attain standard lengths of up to 800 mm (Ng et al., 2000) have been transferred to the genus Hemibagrus Bleeker. The genus Hemibagrus has been re-diagnosed by Mo (1991) by having a depressed head with a thin, plate-like metopterygoid. This taxon was established by P. Bleeker in 1862 to include species with depressed heads, rugose (ridged or wrinkled) head shields not covered by skin, slender occipital process, and moderately long adipose fins is known from Southeast Asia, Indo-China and southern China (Mo, 1991).

To date, at least five species of Hemibagrus known to Peninsular Malaysia viz. H. gracilis Ng & Ng, H. hoevenii (Bleeker), H. johorensis (Herre), H. nemurus (Valenciennes) and H. wyckii (Bleeker) (see Ferraris, 2007). Previously, Lim & Tan (2002) listed only four species, i.e. H. bleekeri (Volz), H. gracilis, H. hoevenii and H. wyckii.

Several authors reported the presence of H. bleekeri in Peninsular Malaysia (see Ng & Ng, 1995; Lim & Tan, 2002) but as already been noted by Tan & Ng (2000), the type specimen of the fish, i.e. Macrones bleekeri Volz 1903, however, is a primary junior homonym of Macrones bleekeri Day, 1877, a species belonging to Mystus s. str. Thus, the species previously known as “Hemibagrus bleekeri” in Peninsular Malaysia could be referred to H. johorensis or the more widely known species, H. nemurus.

Hemibagrus johorensis (Herre, 1940)

Type: Mystus johorensis Herre, 1940. Type locality: Sungai Kayu, 16 miles north of Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia. Holotype: SU 33026.

Distribution: Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.


Hemibagrus nemurus (Valenciennes, in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1840)

Type: Bagrus nemurus Valenciennes, in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840. Type locality: Java. Holotype: Possibly RMNH 269 (not found) or at MNHN.

Type: Mystus pahangensis Herre, 1940: 14, pl. 9. Type locality: Sungai Garam, near Karak, Pahang, Malaysia. Holotype: SU 33025.

Distribution: Java and likely in river basins of neighbouring regions.

Remarks: Ferraris (2007) noted that the name of “Hemibagrus nemurus” has been applied to populations that have been subsequently determined to belong to distinct species. Dodson et al. (1995) studied the mitochondrial DNA of this species but phylogeographic structure was still unstable. The geographic limits of Hemibagrus nemurus still have not been clearly stated (Ferraris, 2007).

Supplementary. Notes on the genus Mystus Scopoli

Members of the genus Mystus are small- to medium-sized catfishes inhabiting streams, lakes and rivers of southern and southestern Asia, with 32 valid species in the group (Ferraris, 2007). The phylogenetic relationships within the genus also remain poorly understood, although the paraphyly of the group has recently been demonstrated (Hardman, 2005).
Molecular evidence presented by Hardman (2005) indicates that the group is paraphyletic.
Hardman (2005) recovered taxa currently assigned to Mystus in three lineages.

p.s. more to come on Mystus in Peninsular Malaysia

p.s.s. I don't have key to ID this fish but you can refer to published materials (some I have!)

Loaches in families under superfamily Cobitidea

Positions of fishes commonly known as loaches in families under superfamily Cobitidea (Teleostei: Cypriniformes)

Nelson (2006) divided Order Cypriniformes into two superfamilies following Siebert (1987): the Cobitoidea (loaches and allies) and the Cyprinoidea (barbs, carps, minnows and allies). Traditionally, three distinct groupings within the superfamily have been recognized, including the Gyrinocheilidae (algae eaters), Catostomidae (suckers) and the most diverse group, the loaches (Cobitidae and Balitoridae) (Nelson, 2006). In Peninsular Malaysia, loaches formed a relatively large group of fishes – at least 18 species under the family Balitoridae and 22 species under the family Cobitidae. Recently, several researchers had successfully producing a phylogenetic classification of fishes within the Cobitoidea using molecular data. Evidence from various studies pointing toward supporting eight cobitoid families: Gyrinocheilidae, Catostomidae, Cobitidae, Botiidae (formerly included in Cobitidae), Balitoridae, Nemacheilidae (formerly included in Balitoridae) and Vaillantellidae and Ellopostomatidae.

At least six of the eight families under the superfamily Cobitidea found in Malay peninsula, and Peninsular Malaysia has at least five families: Cobitidae (19 species), Botiidae (3 species), Balitoridae (14 species), Nemacheilidae (2 species) and Vaillantellidae (2 species). Family Ellopostomatidae currently has two species; Ellopostoma megalomycter and E. mystax, of which the latter species was reported and probably endemic in southern Thailand but its member is yet to be recorded in Peninsular Malaysia. The former is found in Borneo but was thought to be found in Malay peninsular by several authors. Ellopostoma megalomycter was not included in the checklist of freshwater fishes in Peninsular Malaysia compiled by Lim and Tan (2002).

List of fishes under superfamily Cobitidea in Peninsular Malaysia.

1. Family Balitoridae (14 species): Acanthocobitis zonalternans, Barbucca diabolica, Homaloptera leonardi, H. nebulosa, H. nigra, H. ogilviei, H. parclitella, H. smithii, H. tweediei, H. zollingeri, Neohomaloptera johorensis, Schistura robertsi, Sundareonectes tiomanensis and Tuberoschistura baenzigeri

2. Family Botiidae (3 species): Syncrossus beauforti, S. hymenophysa and Yasuhikotakia morleti

3. Family Cobitidae (19 species): Acanthopsoides molobrion, Acantopsis dialuzona, Lepidocephalichthys furcatus, L. hasseltii, L. tomaculum, Lepidocephalus macrochir, Kottelatlimia katik, K. pristis, Pangio alcoides, P. anguillaris, P. cuneovirgata, P. doriae, P. filinaris, P. malayana, P. muraeniformes, P. oblonga, P. piperata, P. semicincta and P. shelfordii

4. Family Nemacheilidae (2 species): Nemacheilus masyae and N. selangoricus

5. Family Vaillantellidae (2 species): Vaillantella eupiptera and V. maassi

Note. Transcribed from unpub. manuscript (A. Ahmad. Positions of fishes commonly known as loaches under superfamily Cobitidea (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) in Peninsular Malaysia with notes on fish status, species endemism and zoogeography)

Genus Paedocypris is now in a new family

Fishes from the genus Paedocypris which contained the world’s smallest free living vertebrate is now (or, rather “will be” soon) placed in the new family, Paedocyprinidae. Previously, the three known fishes were placed in family Cyprinidae, has recently being removed to a newly created family. More on the family Paedocyprinidae can be read from “Mayden, R.L., Chen, W-J., The world’s smallest vertebrate species of the Genus Paedocypris: A new family of freshwater fishes and the sister group to the world’s most diverse clade of freshwater fishes (Teleostei: Cypriniformes), Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (2010), doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.04.008”

On the Rasbora (s. str.) species group

The remaining species within Rasbora s. str. for which their phylogenetic were not analyses by Liao et al. (2010 [see Liao, T. Y., Kullander, S. O. & Fang, F. (2010). Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Rasbora (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Zoologica Scripta 39, 155–176] for details) phylogenetic positions may change when such studies are conducted. At least 17 species of rasborins fishes present in Peninsular Malaysia.

The proposed grouping of the remaining species that not examined in the study, are as follows:

Rasbora semilineata species group: R. semilineata, R. borapetensis, R. rubrodorsalis.

Rasbora trifasciata species group: R. trifasciata, R. amplistriga, R. bankanensis, R. dies, R. ennealepis, R. hubbsi, R. johannae, R. meinkeni, R. paucisqualis, R. rutteni, R. sarawankensis, R. taytayensis, R. tobana, R. tuberculata.

Rasbora daniconius species group: R. daniconius, R. caverii, R. kobonensis, R. labiosa, R. ornata, R. wilpita.

Rasbora einthovenii species group: R. einthovenii, R. cephalotaenia, R. elegans, R. jacobsoni, R. kalochroma, R. kottelati, R. nematotaenia, R. patrickyapi, R. tubbi.

Rasbora argyrotaenia species group: R. argyrotaenia, R. aprotaenia, R. aurotaenia, R. baliensis, R. borneensis, R. bunguranensis, R. dusonensis, R. evereti, R. hobelmani, R. hossi, R. lateristriata, R. laticlavia, R. leptosoma, R. philippina, R. septentrionalis, R. spilotaenia, R. steineri, R. tawarensis, R. tornieri, R. volzii.

Rasbora sumatrana species group: *R. sumatrana, R. atridorsalis, R. calliura, R. caudimaculata, R. dorsinotata, R. notura, R. paviana, R. rasbora, R. subtilis, R. trilineata, *R. vulgaris.

Not classified: R. beauforti, R. chrysotaenia, R. gerlachi, R. kalbarensis, R. reticulata, R. vulcanus, R. zanzibarensis.

Note. ‘bold’ indicates species presence in Peninsular Malaysia. ‘*’ denotes that the presence of these species in Peninsular Malaysia are still in dispute.

Interestingly, R. caudimaculata (greater scissortail) and R. trilineata (scissortail) with a distinct color pattern on caudal fin, slender caudal peduncle are grouped together under R. sumatrana species group! I am sure someone will place them in its own group or perhaps in a new genus, someday!! Same goes to some species within R. argyrotaenia species group, among other R. bunguranensis (endemic to Natuna Is., Indonesia) which superficially similar to R. notura (endemic to Peninsular Malaysia). It's soooooo interesting!!!