Metadata

Pterocryptis buccata

Ng and Kottelat 1998

Pterocryptis buccata
Drawing by Rhian Kendall from photograph in Ng and Kottelat (1998)
ORDERSUB-ORDERFAMILY
SiluriformesSiluroideiSiluridae

Synonyms

Silurichthys sp.  Géry 1987

Silurus sp.  Kottelat 1989

Pterocryptes sp.  Kottelat and Whitten 1996

Country

Thailand

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 (14o15'N, 99o4’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.

Conservation Status

TLO [DD:3.1:2012]

(Ng, H.H. 2012. Pterocryptis buccata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T181034A1691144.en. Downloaded on 07 July 2017).

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).

Key References

Gery, J. Journal Article 1987 Note sur la faune pisciaire souterraine des Celebes et de Thailande
Brouquisse, R. Journal Article 1987 Resultats speleologiques Thailande
Brouquisse, F. and Dalger, D. Journal Article 1987 Hydrogeochimie
Kottelat, M. and Gery, J. Journal Article 1989 Nemacheilus troglocataractus, a new blind cavefish from Thailand (Osteichthyes, Balitoridae)
Kottelat, M. Journal Article 1990 New species and populations of cave nemacheilines in south and south-east Asia (Osteichthyes, Balitoridae)
Ng, H.H. and Kottelat, M. Journal Article 1998 Pterocryptis buccata, a new species of catfish from Western Thailand (Teleostei: Siluridae) with epigean and hypogean populations
Ng, H.H. and Freyhof, J. Journal Article 2001 A review of the catfish genus Pterocryptis (Siluridae) in Vietnam, with the description of two new species
Deharveng, L. and Bedos, A. Book Section 2001 Thailande
Brancelj, A., Boonyanusith, C., Watiroyram, S. and Sanoamuang, L. Journal Article 2013 The groundwater-dwelling fauna of Southeast Asia
Suwannapoom, C., Sumontha, M., JTunprasert, J., Ruangsuwan, T., Pawangkhanant, P., Korost, D.V. and Poyarkov, N.A. Journal Article 2018 A striking new genus and species of cave-dwelling frog (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae: Asterophryinae) from Thailand
Anonymous Journal Article 2018 Scientists found a new genus and species of frogs
Ellis, M. Journal Article 2018 The recorded fauna of the limestone caves of Thailand to April 2018
Ellis, M. Journal Article 2020 The caves of western and central Thailand