Nemacheilidae

Aborichthys kempi

Aborichthys kempi

Black bars narrower than the pale spaces between

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• South Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Elongated
• Small
• Tropical fish

Traversing turbulent mountain waters along the eastern sub-Himalayan front, Kemp's squirrel loach is an elongated, cylinder-shaped rheophilic nemacheilid native to the fast-flowing tributaries of the Brahmaputra basin. Its slender, supple body presents a yellowish-grey or tan ground color encircled by nineteen to twenty-four distinct, dark brownish-black vertical bars that wrap neatly around the flanks. A definitive anatomical hallmark is located at the caudal peduncle, where a prominent, dark circular ocellus spot is stamped on the upper base, leading into a pale greyish caudal fin marked with concentric dark wavy bands. Its small inferior mouth is bordered by three pairs of sensitive fleshy barbels that explore rocky crevices in torrential currents. Distributed across northern Myanmar and northeastern India in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, it inhabits cobble-strewn torrents and gravel riffles. A benthic insectivore, it wedges securely beneath smooth river stones to feed on mayfly nymphs and midge larvae. Maximum recorded total length reaches eight point one centimetres.

Sources: FishBase & ZSI — Kemp's Squirrel Loach, Aborichthys kempi