Subterranean Fishes of the World

Country

Types

Holotype: ZRC 41496 male 95.6m SL (epigean specimen). Paratypes: CMK 5993 82.5mm SL (epigean specimen), CMK 12884 146.6mm SL (hypogean specimen).

Distribution

Collected from epigean and hypogean environments in the Amphoe [= district] Sai Yok in the Mekong basin in Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. The only known hypogean population is from Tham Sai Yok Noi (also known as Tham Nam Tok and Tham Wang Ba Dan), 3 km NNW of the village of Nam Tok, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand (14^o15'N, 99^o4’E). The balitorid Nemacheilus troglocataractus is found in the same cave and the two species coexist. A troglophilic frog, Siamophryne troglodytes, is found in a cave in the same area (Suwannapoom et al. 2018).

Habitat

Not known in detail. A description of the cave is provided by Brouquisse (1987) and the hydrogeology is described by Brouquisse and Dalger (1987). The cave atmosphere contains 5% carbon dioxide.

Systematics

Ng and Kottelat provide the following differences between the hypogean and epigean animals: hypogean animals have a non-pigmented body, fewer gill rakers (5 instead of 9-10), more anal fin rays (61 instead of 54-57) and shorter barbels. In all other measurements and counts the animals are similar.

Museum Holdings

In addition to the type material the following institutions hold specimens of this species: ZMUH, MNHN, NRM, USNM, ZRC.

P. buccata: ZRC 41496, 1 ex., holotype, 95·6 mmLS; Thailand: Kanchanaburi

Province, Amphoe Sai Yok, Mae Khlong basin. CMK 5993, 1 ex., paratype,

82·5 mm LS; data as for holotype. CMK 12884, 1 ex., paratype, 146·6 mm LS; (data from Ng and Freyhof 2001).