Dawkinsia assimilis

Dawkinsia assimilis

Dawkinsia assimilis ( Syn: Puntius assimilis ) is a freshwater fish of the carp family (Cyprinidae ). The species was described in 1849 by the British physician, zoologist and botanist Thomas Caverhill Jerdon as Systomus assimilis. The type locality is near Madikeri in the Indian state of Karnataka. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats and was out at the type locality only in Nethravati River in Coorg ( Karnataka ) in the Bhavani River near Mettupalayam (Tamil Nadu ) in Chalakudy River near Vettilapara and the Kallada River in near Thenmala found in Kerala.

Features

Dawkinsia assimilis is 11 cm long and has a typical barbel body of moderately elongated and flattened laterally. It differs from other species of the genus Dawkinsia by a combination of the following features: On the upper and lower portion of the forked tail fin there is a black band that is as wide as the eye diameter. The band is only weakly or not trained at all in specimens from the Kallada River. On the tail fin shaft lies behind the beginning of the anal fin, a black spot, which extends over two to five scales. Before the beginning of the anal fin is no distinct spots appear on the body. In adult males from the Chalakudy River Kallada and the branched fin rays of the dorsal fin are elongated filament-like. From the black spot barbel ( Dawkinsia filamentosus ) they can be through the mouth under permanent and the longer maxillary barbels. The barbels reach at Dawkinsia assimilis from 23.5 to 33.3 % of head length (vs. 2.8 - 8.1% in D. filamentosus ) differ.

Dawkinsia assimilis lives both in slow-flowing waters with muddy bottoms as well as in relatively strong currents, clear water sections with rocky soils.

The IUCN classifies the species as threatened ( Vulnerable ), since all four localized populations are threatened by pollution and uncontrolled fishing for aquarium purposes.