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

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

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

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
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

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

Family: Cobitidae

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

Lepidocephalichthys thermalis

Naked catfishes

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

Family: Siluridae

Name Binomial Status
Ompok argestes Endemic
Butter catfish

Ompok bimaculatus
Ompok ceylonensis Endemic
Wallago

Wallago attu

Airbreathing catfishes

Family: Clariidae

Name Binomial Status
Walking catfish

Clarias brachysoma endemic

Airsac catfishes

Family: Heteropneustidae

Name Binomial Status
Asian stinging catfish

Heteropneustes fossilis

Swamp eels

Order: Synbranchiformes. Family: Synbranchidae

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

Rivulines

Order: Cyprinodontiformes. Family: Aplocheilidae

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

Ricefish

Family: Adrianichthyidae

Name Binomial Status
Spotted ricefish Oryzias carnaticus
Indian ricefish Oryzias dancena

Cichlids

Order: Perciformes. Family: Cichlidae

Name Binomial Status
Orange chromide

Etroplus maculatus
Green chromide

Etroplus suratensis

Climbing perches

Family: Anabantidae

Name Binomial Status
Climbing perch

Anabas testudineus

Gourami

Family: Osphronemidae

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

Snakeheads

Family: Channidae

[[Channa kelartii

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 kelartii

Garfishes

Family: Belonidae

Name Binomial Status
Freshwater garfish

Xenentodon cancila

Sleeper gobies

Family: Eleotridae

Name Binomial Status
Crazyfish

Butis butis
Dusky sleeper

Eleotris fusca

Spiny eels

Family: Mastacembelidae

Name Binomial Status
Tire track eel

Mastacembelus armatus
Sri Lanka spiny eel Macrognathus pentophthalmos

Gobies

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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