Botiinae
Encyclopedia
Botiinae is the mainly Southeast Asia
n subfamily of cypriniform ray-finned fishes that contains the genus Botia
. Placed in the true loach family
Cobitidae in our time, they were formerly often treated as a distinct cobitoid family Botiidae.
They are more robust than most of their relatives in the Cobitinae and tend to have a more or less arched back, yielding an altogether more fusiform shape. Botiinae typically have a pointed snout of intermediate length, while many Cobitinae are remarkably stub-nosed.
s (subfamilies when the Botiinae are treated as a family Botiidae) – the more diverse Botiini and the less diverse Leptobotiini. Most Botiini genera were lumped into Botia in the 20th century, but this was recognized to be erroneous in the early 21st century. The tribes and genera, listed in the presumed phylogenetic sequence, are:
Botiini
Leptobotiini
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n subfamily of cypriniform ray-finned fishes that contains the genus Botia
Botia
Botia is a genus of freshwater fish in the loach family . It was a large genus with about 20 species. In 2004 Maurice Kottelat proposed in his paper to divide the genus into four related genera based on fish appearance and locality:* Botia for Indian loaches .*...
. Placed in the true loach family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cobitidae in our time, they were formerly often treated as a distinct cobitoid family Botiidae.
They are more robust than most of their relatives in the Cobitinae and tend to have a more or less arched back, yielding an altogether more fusiform shape. Botiinae typically have a pointed snout of intermediate length, while many Cobitinae are remarkably stub-nosed.
Systematics and taxonomy
The Botiinae can be quite unequivocally divided into two tribeTribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
s (subfamilies when the Botiinae are treated as a family Botiidae) – the more diverse Botiini and the less diverse Leptobotiini. Most Botiini genera were lumped into Botia in the 20th century, but this was recognized to be erroneous in the early 21st century. The tribes and genera, listed in the presumed phylogenetic sequence, are:
Botiini
- BotiaBotiaBotia is a genus of freshwater fish in the loach family . It was a large genus with about 20 species. In 2004 Maurice Kottelat proposed in his paper to divide the genus into four related genera based on fish appearance and locality:* Botia for Indian loaches .*...
– Indian loaches - Chromobotia – Clown Loach
- SyncrossusSyncrossusSyncrossus is a genus of Southeast Asian loaches. It contains five species, many of which are popular in the aquarium fish trade.-Species:* Syncrossus beauforti Syncrossus is a genus of Southeast Asian loaches. It contains five species, many of which are popular in the aquarium fish...
Blyth, 1860 – tiger loaches - YasuhikotakiaYasuhikotakiaYasuhikotakia is a genus of loaches, many which are popular aquarium fish. It is named in honor of Japanese collector/researcher Dr. Yasuhiko Taki. This genus has been separated from the genus Botia in the paper by Maurice Kottelat in 2004. Some future study might further place Y. sidthimunki and Y...
– Mekong loaches (paraphyletic?) - SinibotiaSinibotiaSinibotia is a genus of loaches found in eastern Asia. There are currently five recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Sinibotia longiventralis * Sinibotia pulchra...
Fang, 1936
Leptobotiini
- LeptobotiaLeptobotiaLeptobotia is a genus of ray-finned fish in the Cobitidae family.- Species :* Leptobotia curta * Leptobotia elongata * Leptobotia flavolineata H. Y. Wang, 1981...
- ParabotiaParabotiaParabotia is a genus of loaches that are found in East and Southeast Asia. There are currently 11 described species in this genus.-Species:* Parabotia banarescui * Parabotia bimaculata J. X. Chen, 1980...
Dabry de Thiersant, 1872