Biology:Misgurnus

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Short description: Genus of fishes

Misgurnus
Misgurnus fossilis Hungary.jpg
Misgurnus fossilis
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cobitidae
Genus: Misgurnus
Lacepède, 1803
Type species
Cobitis fossilis
Linnaeus, 1758

Misgurnus is a genus of true loaches found in Europe and Asia. The origin of the name Misgurnus comes from the Greek word miseo (to hate) and the Turkish gür (loud), a name given to them due to their habit of becoming very active during barometric pressure changes that occur during thunderstorms. The common names, weather loach or weatherfish, also derive from this behavior. Some species of misgurnus are eaten, mostly in Asia, and are also sold as pets in the aquarium trade. Their average size can range for 6 to over 12 inches.

Species

There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:[1]

  • Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor, 1842) (pond loach,oriental weatherfish)
  • Misgurnus buphoensis R. T. Kim & S. Y. Park, 1995
  • Misgurnus fossilis (Linnaeus, 1758) (weatherfish)
  • Misgurnus mohoity (Dybowski, 1869)
  • Misgurnus multimaculatus Rendahl (de), 1944
  • Misgurnus nikolskyi Vasil'eva, 2001
  • Misgurnus tonkinensis Rendahl (de), 1937

See also

References

  1. Kottelat, M. (2012): Conspectus cobitidum: an inventory of the loaches of the world (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cobitoidei). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Suppl. No. 26: 1-199.

Wikidata ☰ Q1360260 entry