Cryptotora thamicola
(Kottelat 1988) Kottelat 1998
| ORDER | SUB-ORDER | FAMILY |
|---|---|---|
| Cypriniformes | Cobitoidei | Balitoridae |
Synonyms
Homaloptera thamicola Kottelat 1988
Country
ThailandTypes
Holotype: AMS I.25987‑001 28.4mm SL. At the time of its description this was the only known specimen and no other types were assigned.
Distribution
Type locality: Tham Susa, Pang Ma Pha District, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand (19o28'N, 98o08'E). Known also from Tham Mae La Na in the same province where it coexists with Schistura oedipus (Richard Borowsky pers. comm.).
Habitat
Within Tham Mae La Na this species is found in water cascading over flowstone while its co-inhabitant, Schistura oedipus, lives in gour pools and other lentic habitats. The two species seem to strictly partition the habitats (Trajano, Mugue, Krejca, Vidthayanon, Smart and Borowsky 2002). The population size is of the order 102 – 103 which is very small (Trajano, Mugue, Krejca, Vidthayanon, Smart and Borowsky 2002).
Systematics
Kottelat (1988) discussed various aspects of the relationships of this species but commented that he was in the process of researching this and would present a fuller analysis at a later date. Kottelat (1998) provides the replacement generic name Cryptotora since there are a number of differences separating this fish from others in the genus Homaloptera. Data on pigmentation and behaviour collected by Trajano, Mugue, Krejca, Vidthayanon, Smart and Borowsky (2002) suggests that this species is a palaeo-stygobite.
A detailed study of the skeletal and muscular morphology of Balitoridae in southern Asia by Crawford et al. (2020) demonstrated that Cryptotora thamicola is sister species to a group containing the genera Homaloptera, Balitoropsis, Pseudohomaloptera, Balitora, Hemimyzon and Sinogastromyzon.
Biological Notes
Eyes absent, pigment absent (AB/AB phenotype of Farley (2021), see also Metadata section for more details of this classification).
Conservation Status
MG [VU B2ab(iii) D2:3.1:2011]
VU B2ab(iii) D2:3.1:2011. (Vidthayanon, C. 2011. Cryptotora thamicola. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T41407A10459372.en. Downloaded on 06 July 2017). The species has been recorded from eight subterranean sites within a large karst system (Pang Mapha karst formation) in Mae Hongson Province, Thailand. The species has an Extent of Occurrence of nearly 200 km2, but and Area of Occupancy of 6 km2. The connectivity of this karst sytems is unknown, some caves are definitely connected. The species is found in eight locations based on the current threat to the species (habitat degradation by cave tourism). Therefore the species is assessed as Vulnerable. However the species has a potential threat of agricultural pollution which could impact the whole karst system, making it one location. If this was to impact the species it would qualify for Critically Endangered. It may also occur in other caves in the area. VU D2 (IUCN 1996, 2000).
Museum Holdings
As above only.
Internet Resources
Cryptotora climbing a waterfall with its unique fins
Video of Cryptotora in its natural habitat
Key References
- Kottelat, M. (1988)
- Kottelat, M. (1998)
- Deharveng, L. and Bedos, A. (2001)
- Borowsky, R.L. and Vidthayanon, C. (2001)
- Trajano, E., Mugue, N., Krejca, J., Vidthayanon, C., Smart, D. and Borowsky, R. (2002)
- Prokofiev, A.M. (2010)
- Kottelat, M. (2012)
- Brancelj, A., Boonyanusith, C., Watiroyram, S. and Sanoamuang, L. (2013)
- Lujan, N.K. and Conway, K.W. (2015)
- Flammang, B.E., Suvarnaraksha, A., Markiewicz, J. and Soares, D. (2016)
- Sherwin, F. (2016)
- Zimmer, C. (2016)
- Anonymous (2018)
- Anonymous (2018)
- Anonymous (2018)
- Ellis, M. (2018)
- Willis, J., Burt de Perera, T., Newport, C., Poncelet, G., Sturr, C.J. and Thomas, A. (2019)
- Liew, J.H., Chua, K.W.J., Arsenault, E.R, Thorp, J.H., Suvarnaraksha, A., Amirrudin, A. and Yeo, D.C.J. (2019)
- Crawford, C.H., Randall, Z.S., Hart, P.B., Page, L.M., Chakrabarty, P., Suvarnaraksha, A. and Flammang, B.E. (2020)
- Ellis, M. (2020)
- Zhongming, Z., Linong, L., Xiaona, Y., Wangqiang, Z. and Wei, L. (2020)
- Crawford, C.H. (2021)
- Flammang, B.E. (2022)
- Crawford, C.H., Webber-Schultz, A., Hart, P.B., Randall, Z.S., Cerrato-Morales, C., Kellogg, A.B., Amplo, H.E., Suvarnaraksha, A., Page, L.M., Chakrabarty, P. and Flammang, B.E. (2022)
| Kottelat, M. | Journal Article | 1988 | Two species of cavefishes from northern Thailand in the genera Nemachilus and Homaloptera (Osteichthyes, Homalopteridae) |
| Kottelat, M. | Journal Article | 1998 | Homaloptera yuwonoi, a new species of hillstream loach from Borneo, with a new generic name for H. thamicola (Teleostei: Balitoridae) |
| Deharveng, L. and Bedos, A. | Book Section | 2001 | Thailande |
| Borowsky, R.L. and Vidthayanon, C. | Journal Article | 2001 | Nucleotide diversity in populations of balitorid cave fishes from Thailand |
| Trajano, E., Mugue, N., Krejca, J., Vidthayanon, C., Smart, D. and Borowsky, R. | Journal Article | 2002 | Habitat, distribution, ecology and behaviour of cave balitorids from Thailand (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) |
| Prokofiev, A.M. | Journal Article | 2010 | Morphological classification of loaches (Nemacheilinae) |
| Kottelat, M. | Journal Article | 2012 | Conspectus cobitidum: An inventory of the loaches of the world (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cobitoidei) |
| Brancelj, A., Boonyanusith, C., Watiroyram, S. and Sanoamuang, L. | Journal Article | 2013 | The groundwater-dwelling fauna of Southeast Asia |
| Lujan, N.K. and Conway, K.W. | Book Section | 2015 | Life in the fast lane: A review of rheophily in freshwater fishes |
| Flammang, B.E., Suvarnaraksha, A., Markiewicz, J. and Soares, D. | Journal Article | 2016 | Tetrapod-like pelvic girdle in a walking cavefish |
| Sherwin, F. | Web Page | 2016 | Wall-climbing cave fish: Evolutionary intermediate? |
| Zimmer, C. | Web Page | 2016 | Researchers find fish that walks the way land Vertebrates do |
| Anonymous | Web Page | 2018 | New walking cavefish study explores origins of quadrapedal walking |
| Anonymous | Web Page | 2018 | First steps. Scientists launch evolutionary study to explore the origins of fish that walk |
| Anonymous | Web Page | 2018 | New walking cavefish study explores origins of quadrapedal walking |
| Ellis, M. | Journal Article | 2018 | The recorded fauna of the limestone caves of Thailand to April 2018 |
| Willis, J., Burt de Perera, T., Newport, C., Poncelet, G., Sturr, C.J. and Thomas, A. | Journal Article | 2019 | The structure and function of the sucker systems of hill stream loaches |
| Liew, J.H., Chua, K.W.J., Arsenault, E.R, Thorp, J.H., Suvarnaraksha, A., Amirrudin, A. and Yeo, D.C.J. | Journal Article | 2019 | Quantifying terrestrial carbon in freshwater food webs using amino acid isotope analysis: Case study with an endemic cavefish |
| Crawford, C.H., Randall, Z.S., Hart, P.B., Page, L.M., Chakrabarty, P., Suvarnaraksha, A. and Flammang, B.E. | Journal Article | 2020 | Skeletal and muscular pelvic morphology of hillstream loaches (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) |
| Ellis, M. | Journal Article | 2020 | The caves of northern Thailand |
| Zhongming, Z., Linong, L., Xiaona, Y., Wangqiang, Z. and Wei, L. | Web Page | 2020 | Study of Asia's hillstream loaches reveals keys to fish family's land-walking abilities |
| Crawford, C.H. | Thesis | 2021 | These fish were made for walking: morphology and walking kinematics in balitorid loaches |
| Flammang, B.E. | Journal Article | 2022 | Bioinspired design in research: Evolution as beta-testing |
| Crawford, C.H., Webber-Schultz, A., Hart, P.B., Randall, Z.S., Cerrato-Morales, C., Kellogg, A.B., Amplo, H.E., Suvarnaraksha, A., Page, L.M., Chakrabarty, P. and Flammang, B.E. | Journal Article | 2022 | They like to move it (move it): walking kinematics of balitorid loaches of Thailand |