Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Nemacheilidae (Brook loaches)
Etymology: Schistura: Greek, schizein = to divide + Greek, oura = tail; an allusion to forked caudal fins (Ref. 45335); imitator: From the Latin imitator (imitator).
More on author: Kottelat.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Asia: Xe Kong of the Mekong basin in Laos.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36949)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Anterior nostril pierced on front side of a flap; processus dentiformis present; upper lip almost smooth, with a broad median notch, lower lip interrupted medially; lower jaw with a deep notch; lateral line complete; anus closer from pelvic-fin base than anal-fin origin; 9.5 branched dorsal-fin rays; 5.5 branched anal-fin rays; caudal fin emarginate, with 9+8 branched rays; axillary pelvic lobe present; body with 9-11 dark brown bars wider than interspaces, sometimes very regular, sometimes irregular or branched; black bar at caudal-fin base complete but faint along dorsal and ventral midlines; dorsal fin with one or two grey blotches along base and a black subdistal stripe, on both rays and membranes; a red mark along anterior edge of fin and on the following rays immediately above the black subdistal stripe; caudal fin reddish, pectoral and pelvic fins yellowish (Ref. 36949).
Found in fast flowing water, rapids; Schistura imitator has always been collected together with S. khamtanhi (Ref. 36949).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kottelat, M., 2000. Diagnosis of a new genus and 64 new species of fishes from Laos (Teleostei: Cyprinidae, Balitoridae, Bagridae, Syngnathidae, Chaudhuriidae and Tetraodontidae). J. South Asian Nat. Hist. 5(1):37-82. (Ref. 36949)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00692 (0.00310 - 0.01545), b=3.02 (2.85 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.0 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
