List of freshwater fish of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. It is situated in the middle of Indian Ocean. Because of being an island, Sri Lanka has many endemic freshwater fauna, including fish, crabs, molluscs, and other aquatic insects.

Species List

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Class: Actinopterygii

Freshwater fish are physiologically differ from marine and brackish water forms. The low salinity and high osmotic pressure makes them so different. Few fish can be found in all three ecological systems.

There are 95 species of freshwater fish occur in the country, where 53 of those are endemic. 41% of all known species of fish of Sri Lanka are found in freshwater. There are about 70% of endemism of those fish. Most of them are listed into IUCN categories. Four Devario species were described in 2017 by Batuwita et al. However, the taxonomy and descriptions were cited as problematic by fellow local ichthyologists.[1]

Note: introduced species are not included in the list. Go to List of introduced fish in Sri Lanka.

Freshwater eels

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Order: Anguilliformes. Family: Anguillidae

There are 19 species and 6 subspecies in this family are all in genus Anguilla. Sri Lanka is home for 2 freshwater eels.

Name Binomial Status
Mottled Eel Anguilla nebulosa
Shortfin Eel Anguilla bicolor

Carps and allies

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Order: Cypriniformes. Family: Cyprinidae About over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species are included in this family. 52 species found in Sri Lanka.

Common name Binomial Status
Attentive carplet Amblypharyngodon melettinus
Sinhala barb

 

Dawkinsia singhala endemic
Blotched filamentous barb

 

Dawkinsia srilankensis endemic
Giant danio

 

Devario aequipinnatus
Devario annnataliae problematic taxon
Malabar danio

 

Devario malabaricus
Devario micronema problematic taxon
Devario monticola problematic taxon
Barred danio

 

Devario pathirana
Devario udenii problematic taxon
Indian flying barb

 

Esomus danrica
Flying barb

 

Esomus thermoicos
Ceylon Logsucker Garra ceylonensis endemic
Philipps' Garra Garra phillipsi endemic
Glow-light Carplet

 

Horadandia atukorali
Labeo heladiva endemic
Green labeo Labeo fisheri endemic
Red fin labeo Labeo lankae endemic
Knuckles Laubuca Laubuca insularis endemic
Blue Laubuca Laubuca lankensis endemic
Ruhuna Laubuca Laubuca ruhuna endemic
Varuna Laubuca Laubuca varuna endemic
Scarlet banded barb Puntius amphibius
Red-side barb

 

Puntius bimaculatus
Swamp barb Puntius chola
Long-snouted barb Puntius dorsalis
Kamalika's barb Puntius kamalika endemic
Kelum's barb

 

Puntius kelumi endemic
Cherry barb

 

Puntius titteya endemic
Greenstripe barb Puntius vitattus
Bandula barb Pethia bandula endemic
Two-spot barb Pethia cumingii endemic
Tic-tac-toe Barb Pethia melanomaculata endemic
Black ruby barb

 

Pethia nigrofasciata endemic
Red-fined Barb Pethia reval endemic
Stoliczkae's barb

 

Pethia stoliczkana
Ticto barb

 

Pethia ticto
Amith's rasbora Rasbora armitagei endemic
Cauvery rasbora Rasbora caverii
Slender rasbora Rasbora daniconius endemic
Wilpita rasbora Rasbora wilpita endemic

 

Rasboroides nigromarginatus endemic

 

Rasboroides pallidus endemic
Rasboroides rohani endemic
Pearly Rasbora Rasboroides vaterifloris endemic
Asoka barb Systomus asoka endemic
Martenstyn's barb Systomus martenstyni endemic
Side-striped barb Systomus pleurotaenia endemic
Olive barb

 

Systomus sarana
Systomus spilurus endemic
Timbiri Barb Systomus timbiri endemic
Deccan Mahseer

 

Tor khudree

River loaches

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Family: Balitoridae

Common name Binomial Status
Banded Mountain Loach

 

Acanthocobitis urophthalma endemic
Hill country Loach Schistura madhavai endemic
Spotback Loach Schistura notostigma native
Schistura scripta endemic

True Loaches

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Family: Cobitidae

Common name Binomial Status
Spotted loach Lepidocephalichthys jonklaasi endemic
Common spiny loach

 

Lepidocephalichthys thermalis

Naked catfishes

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Order: Siluriformes. Family: Bagridae

Name Binomial Status
Dwarf catfish Mystus ankutta endemic
Gangetic mystus Mystus cavasius
Long Whiskers catfish Mystus gulio
Yellow catfish Mystus keletius
Striped dwarf catfish Mystus vittatus

Sheat catfishes

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Family: Siluridae

Name Binomial Status
Ompok argestes Endemic
Butter catfish

 

Ompok bimaculatus
Ompok ceylonensis Endemic
Wallago

 

Wallago attu

Airbreathing catfishes

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Family: Clariidae

Name Binomial Status
Walking catfish

 

Clarias brachysoma endemic

Airsac catfishes

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Family: Heteropneustidae

Name Binomial Status
Asian stinging catfish

 

Heteropneustes fossilis

Swamp eels

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Order: Synbranchiformes. Family: Synbranchidae

Name Binomial Status
Lesser swamp eel Monopterus desilvai
Bengal swamp eel Ophisternon bengalense

Rivulines

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Order: Cyprinodontiformes. Family: Aplocheilidae

Name Binomial Status
Ceylon killifish Aplocheilus dayi endemic
Dwarf panchax Aplocheilus parvus
Werners killifish Aplocheilus werneri endemic

Ricefish

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Family: Adrianichthyidae

Name Binomial Status
Spotted ricefish Oryzias carnaticus
Indian ricefish Oryzias dancena

Cichlids

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Order: Perciformes. Family: Cichlidae

Name Binomial Status
Orange chromide

 

Etroplus maculatus
Green chromide

 

Etroplus suratensis

Climbing perches

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Family: Anabantidae

Name Binomial Status
Climbing perch

 

Anabas testudineus

Gourami

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Family: Osphronemidae

Name Binomial Status
Ceylonese combtail Belontia signata endemic
Ornate parasidefish Malpulutta kretseri endemic
Spike-tailed paradisefish Pseudosphromenus cupanus

Snakeheads

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Family: Channidae

Name Binomial Status
Giant snakehead

 

Channa marulius
Dwarf snakehead

 

Channa gachua
Ceylon snakehead

 

Channa orientalis endemic
Spotted snakehead

 

Channa punctata
Striped snakehead

 

Channa striata
Channa kelaartii[citation needed]

Garfishes

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Family: Belonidae

Name Binomial Status
Freshwater garfish

 

Xenentodon cancila

Sleeper gobies

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Family: Eleotridae

Name Binomial Status
Crazyfish

 

Butis butis
Dusky sleeper

 

Eleotris fusca

Spiny eels

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Family: Mastacembelidae

Name Binomial Status
Tire track eel

 

Mastacembelus armatus
Sri Lanka spiny eel Macrognathus pentophthalmos

Gobies

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Family: Gobiidae

Name Binomial Status
Large snout goby Awaous melanocephalus
Tank goby

 

Glossogobius giuris
Sharptail goby

 

Oligolepis acutipennis
Red neck goby Schismatogobius deraniyagalai
Stone goby Sicyopterus griseus
Redtail goby Sicyopterus lagocephalus
Lipstick goby Sicyopus jonklaasi endemic
Martenstyn's goby Stiphodon martenstyni endemic

References

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  1. ^ Sudasinghe, Hiranya; Pethiyagoda, Rohan (2019). "A commentary on the taxonomic review of Sri Lankan Devario by Batuwita et al. 2017 (Teleostei: Danionidae)". Zootaxa. 4543 (3). biotaxa. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4543.3.7. Retrieved 28 February 2019.