Turcinoemacheilus himalaya Conway, Edds, Shrestha & Mayden, 2011

Family:  Nemacheilidae (Brook loaches)
Max. size:  5.93 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia: Koshi and Gandaki River basins in Nepal.
Diagnosis:  Vertebrae: 42-43. Differs from its hypothesized congener, Turcinoemacheilus kosswigi, from the Euphrates, Tigris and Karoun basins of the Middle East, by the following characters: presence of small scales on the posterior half of its body (vs. absence of all scales); shorter caudal peduncle length 12-15% standard length (vs. 16-23); shorter snout length 28-36% head length (vs. 40-49); and color pattern, which includes the presence of small irregularly shaped dark grey markings over the lateral body surface (Ref. 88137).
Biology:  Specimens were collected from large rivers (>10 m width) and medium-sized (5-10 m wide) tributaries of the Koshi and Gandaki River systems of eastern and central Nepal. At the type locality in the Koshi basin, the Indrawati River is a pristine, fast to torrential flowing river, over a cobble and boulder substratum, with a well-developed gravel shoreline. At this site, the species was collected close to shore, together with juveniles of Psilorhynchus pseudecheneis and an unidentified species of Schistura by sifting a dip net or small seine through gravel. In the Gandaki basin, specimens were collected (during each season of the year) in well-oxygenated, shallow riffles and runs with moderate to swift flow over clean, mainly pebble and cobble substratum (Ref. 88137).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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