Puntius johorenisis
Desmopuntius johorensis (DUNCKER, 1904)
Striped Barb
SynonymsTOP ↑
Barbus tetrazona johorensis Duncker, 1904; Puntius johorensis (Duncker, 1904); Systomus johorensis (Duncker, 1904); Barbus fasciatus Bleeker, 1853; Puntius eugrammus Silas, 1956
Etymology
Desmopuntius: from the Ancient Greek δεσμψτης (desmotes), meaning ‘prisoner’, and the generic name Puntius, in reference to the barred colour pattern in member species.
johorensis: named for Johor state, southern Peninsular Malaysia, from where the type series was collected.
Classification
Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae
Distribution
Native to southern Thailand, Penisular Malaysia, Singapore, and the islands of Sumatra (Indonesia) and Borneo (Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam) with type locality ‘Muar River, Tebing Tinggi, Johore, Malaysia’.
In Thailand it’s known only from Narathiwat province while in Peninsular Malaysia records exist from the states of Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Selangor, and Perak.
On Sumatra it’s known from the provinces of Jambi (Batang Hari River) and Riau (Siak and Indragiri basins) and on Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sarawak and Indonesian provinces of Central Kalimantan (Mentaya River, Kalimantan Tengah) and East Kalimantan (Mahakam River, Kalimantan Timur).
There are also a number of records from Brunei Darussalam. In West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat) and possibly southern Sarawak it appears to be replaced by D. trifasciatus.
Habitat
Most commonly inhabits peat swamps and associated black water streams as well as other still waters, often in areas with submerged grasses or aquatic plants and dense riparian vegetation.
The water itself is typically stained brown with humic acids and other chemicals released by decaying organic material.
The dissolved mineral content is generally negligible, pH as low as 3.0 or 4.0, and substrate usually littered with fallen leaves, branches and submerged tree roots.
At the type locality of Brevibora cheeya it was collected from waters flowing slowly through ‘coastal heath forest’ among stands of a Melaleuca species (myrtle).
The substrate was a mixture of sand and peat and the water acidic (pH 4.5 in February 2009).
Fish diversity was high with other sympatric species including Boraras maculatus, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Osteochilus spilurus, Parachela maculicauda, P. oxygastroides, Rasbora einthovenii, R. trilineata, Trigonopoma gracile, T. pauciperforatum, Lepidocephalichthys furcatus, Pangio alcoides, P. semicincta, Kryptopterus macrocephalus, Ompok leiacanthus, Wallago leerii, Hemibagrus nemurus, Pseudomystus leiacanthus, Clarias batrachus, C. meladerma, Parakysis verrucosa, Aplocheilus panchax, Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus, Monopterus albus, Nandus nebulosus, Pristolepis grooti, Belontia hasselti, Betta imbellis, B. waseri, Luciocephalus pulcher, Parosphromenus paludicola, Trichopodus leerii, T. trichopterus, Trichopsis vittata, Channa bankanensis, C. lucius, and C. striata.
Maximum Standard Length
80 – 100 mm.
[TABS_R id=2079]
