The Great Mahseer Journal - V

Originally Posted by CM09

Also I got 3 of them couple months ago, they're now about 5-6 inchs with golden orange base colour especially on their gill cover and deep red on their fins. Any idea what kind of masheers they are? In fact, I think that they may properly be refer to Neolissocheilus genus. Thanks in advance.

This should be a Neolissochilus hexagonolepis. Common name Tenga or Green Kelah. Dark copper colour mostly. Some have a very dark maroon colouration on fins, commonly mis-identified by LFS as red kelah as well. LFS spotted with mis-identification - Seaview.

Key Characteristics: A looping upper lip covering the lower lip. Adult speciments have dark greenish tint on the bottom side of the lower lip.

Originally Posted by FishyAmazon

Please note that Hypselobarbus thomassi has ever been misquoted in C328 as a red mahseer. If you have bought one before like me, this is the light in the tunnel for you

IFIRC, around the end of 2008 some were imported in to SG from India by someone from Pasir ris. That's when there was a new found high for Mahseer so many just fell for whatever faintly had the same shape.

Lets continue with Mahseer discussion. Now that we have so many new folks that join us recently - It'll be my utmost pleasure to post/reference some old libraries on the Thai Blue Kelah to hopefully help some of us that is getting confused. It's an acquired taste so i would remind you to have patience in learning this knowledge with others and yourself. Enjoy the journey!

Then you suggest we continue discussions on allied species on this thread ?

Originally Posted by FishyAmazon

This should be a Neolissochilus hexagonolepis. Common name Tenga or Green Kelah. Dark copper colour mostly. Some have a very dark maroon colouration on fins, commonly mis-identified by LFS as red kelah as well. LFS spotted with mis-identification - Seaview.

Key Characteristics: A looping upper lip covering the lower lip. Adult speciments have dark greenish tint on the bottom side of the lower lip.

Perfect ! As I think N. hexagonolepis available in SG are ALL from India which is known locally there as KATLI. Reported to grow as big as 60 cm though doubtful as the largest I've heard fishermen claim they caught was around 40 cm.

Actually, I took these pics from the net which were in my files and dunno if it's permitted. If the mods think so kindly delete as I am unable to find any direction by which to delete after posting.

Originally Posted by byongify

hmmm....about your picture, It looks like H jerdoni to me

Please find pics of Hypselobarbus jerdoni from Karnataka, South West India reported to grow upto 45 cm. You can see it's a more deep bodied fish than H. thomassi plus it has no black markings on the caudal and has a prominent black spot on the dorsal

The second pic is credited to my good friend Choy Heng Wah and the former I dunno but will check and acknowledge later.

Originally Posted by channabarca

Please find pics of Hypselobarbus jerdoni from Karnataka, South West India reported to grow upto 45 cm. You can see it's a more deep bodied fish than H. thomassi plus it has no black markings on the caudal and has a prominent black spot on the dorsal

The second pic is credited to my good friend Choy Heng Wah and the former I dunno but will check and acknowledge later.

ic ic ....I understand now, thanks for your explanation,These fish are very very similar both..hehe...

In the India book Talwar and Jhingran [1991] list Gonoproktopterus thomassi [now change to Hypselobarbus] as growing up to a meter long. That's an error?

Originally Posted by channabarca

I had mentioned in my earlier post that H. thomassi can grow to 20 cm from what I've seen but there are reports of upto 23 cm too.

Originally Posted by chedra

In the India book Talwar and Jhingran [1991] list Gonoproktopterus thomassi [now change to Hypselobarbus] as growing up to a meter long. That's an error?

I would not vouch to state that's an error but based on hearsay. You see a lot of the authors / scientists conduct most of their faunistic surveys as far as fish in concerned by visiting the wet markets at various places. There they interview sellers who are not fishermen barring very a few. The sellers though get to see a lot of fish on a daily basis but they do tend to exagerate whereas fishermen on the job give almost more accurate info and that is where I got my fish and info too. Specimens of H. thomassi given to friends and aquaintances who kept the same in large tanks such as six footers never reported growths of over 17 cm and I am talking over the years. I got my first thomassi way back in 1996 from the Chalakuddy river, Kerala and many more specimens later and as recently in September last year and till very recently in May this year from the Payaswini river in Karnataka. These were procured for a good friend of mine in Bangkok and I'll get him to post some pics of his too here. His when sent were a good 15 cm.

Chedra,

according to Menon's Checklist : Fresh Water Fishes of India, ZSI published 1999 a very much more recent publication than Talwar & Jhingran's monumental work states the size as 23.0 cm TL but goes on to say : As red Mahseer it is known to grow to a length of 100 cm. This statement is also based on hearsay.

Originally Posted by channabarca

Then you suggest we continue discussions on allied species on this thread ?

Wrong interpretation of my sentence. Hypselobarbus thomassi is a known mis-identified species as red kelah. This thread aims to help everyone in doubt on Mahseers not discussion discussion as our historically long thread suggests. Appreciate you could help start another interesting thread on Hypselobarbus thomassi as this genus is vastly diferent from our popularly known 'kelah' in its physical characteristics to common hobbyist