Osteochilus vittatus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cypriniformes |
Family: | Cyprinidae |
Genus: | Osteochilus |
Species: | O. vittatus
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Binomial name | |
Osteochilus vittatus (
Valenciennes, 1842)
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Synonyms | |
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Osteochilus vittatus is a species of cyprinid fish from Southeast Asia. [2] [3] Its common name is bonylip barb, [2]Hasselt's bony-lipped barb, hard-lipped barb, or silver sharkminnow. [1] It grows to 32 cm (13 in) SL. [2]
The species is widely distributed in the Malay Peninsular and Indochina as well as southern China ( Yunnan), Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. It occurs in the Salween, Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, as well as in many smaller drainages. [1] [2]
It inhabits a wide range of freshwater habitats: lowland marshlands, lakes, peat swamps, rivers, and hill streams. [1] It is usually associated with slow-flowing large streams with muddy to sandy rocky bottom. [4]
Adults feed on aquatic plants and particularly the roots of the plants ( Hydrilla verticillata), unicellular algae and some crustaceans. [2] Young are reported to feed on detritus.
Osteochilus vittatus is an important fishery species in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins. It is occasionally present in aquarium trade. [1]