Glyptothorax
Glyptothorax is a genus of catfishes order Siluriformes of the family Sisoridae. It is the most species-rich and widely distributed genus in the family with new species being discovered on a regular basis. These species are distributed in the Black Sea basin, northern Turkey, south and east to the Yangtze River drainage in China and south throughout Indo-China to Java, Indonesia. They are found in Asia Minor and southwards to Southeast Asia. The genus is very diverse in the Indian subcontinent. Southeast Asian species tend to have restricted distributions.
Description
This genus is easily distinguished from other sisorids by having an adhesive apparatus on the thorax with grooves parallel or oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body, as opposed to grooves transverse to the longitudinal axis of body or the thoracic adhesive apparatus entirely absent. The dorsal fin and pectoral fins have strong spines. The dorsal fin spine is smooth or serrate on the front edge and smooth or finely serrated on the posterior edge. The pectoral fin spine is serrated on the front edge. The head is small and depressed and the snout is conical. The body is elongate, from moderately to greatly depressed. The skin is either smooth or tuberculate. The eyes are small and dorsally placed. The lips are thick, fleshy and often papillate. The maxillary barbels have a well-developed membrane and a soft base. The gill openings are wide. The paired fins are plaited and modified to form an adhesive apparatus in some species of Glyptothorax.Ecology
Like other sisorids, these fish are rheophilic, that is they inhabit fast-flowing streams, where they are adapted to live by using the adhesive apparatus on the underside to attach themselves to rocks and prevent being washed away.Species
There are currently 137 recognized species in this genus:Glyptothorax alaknandi Tilak, 1969Glyptothorax amnestus Ng & Kottelat, 2016Glyptothorax anamalaiensis Silas, 1952Glyptothorax annandalei Hora, 1923Glyptothorax armeniacus Glyptothorax ater Anganthoibi & Vishwanath, 2011Glyptothorax bhurainu Vijayakrishnan & Shinde, 2025Glyptothorax botius Glyptothorax brevipinnis Hora, 1923Glyptothorax buchanani H. M. Smith, 1945Glyptothorax burmanicus Prashad & Mukerji, 1929Glyptothorax callopterus H. M. Smith, 1945Glyptothorax caudimaculatus Anganthoibi & Vishwanath, 2011Glyptothorax cavia Glyptothorax chakpiensis Shangningam & Kosygin, 2025Glyptothorax chimtuipuiensis Anganthoibi & Vishwanath, 2010Glyptothorax churamanii Rameshori & Vishwanath, 2012Glyptothorax clavatus Rameshori & Vishwanath, 2014Glyptothorax conirostris Glyptothorax coracinus H. H. Ng & Rainboth, 2008 Glyptothorax cous Glyptothorax daemon Freyhof, Kaya, Abdullah & Geiger, 2021Glyptothorax dakpathari Tilak & Husain, 1976Glyptothorax davissinghi Manimekalan & H. S. Das, 1998Glyptothorax decussatus H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2016Glyptothorax deqinensis T. P. Mo & X. L. Chu, 1986Glyptothorax dikrongensis Tamang & Chaudhry, 2011Glyptothorax distichus Kosygin, Singh & Gurumayum, 2020Glyptothorax dorsalis Vinciguerra, 1890Glyptothorax elankadensis Plamoottil & Abraham, 2013 Glyptothorax exodon H. H. Ng & Rachmatika, 2005Glyptothorax famelicus Ng & Kottelat, 2016Glyptothorax filicatus H. H. Ng & Freyhof, 2008Glyptothorax forabilis H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2017Glyptothorax fucatus W. S. Jiang, H. H. Ng, J. X. Yang & X. Y. Chen, 2012Glyptothorax fuscus Fowler, 1934Glyptothorax garhwali Tilak, 1969Glyptothorax giudikyensis Kosygin, Singh & Gurumayum, 2020Glyptothorax gopii Kosygin, Das, Singh & Chowdhury, 2019Glyptothorax gracilis Glyptothorax granosus W. S. Jiang, H. H. Ng, J. X. Yang & X. Y. Chen, 2012Glyptothorax granulus Vishwanath & Linthoingambi, 2007Glyptothorax hainanensis Glyptothorax heokheei Singh, Chowdhury, Gurumayum & Kosygin, 2023Glyptothorax himalaicus Vijayakrishnan & Shinde, 2025Glyptothorax honghensis S. S. Li, 1984Glyptothorax horai Glyptothorax housei Herre, 1942Glyptothorax hymavatiae Tenali, Adak, Chandran, Singh, Sarkar & Banerjee, 2025Glyptothorax igniculus H. H. Ng & S. O. Kullander, 2013Glyptothorax indicus Talwar, 1991Glyptothorax interspinalum Glyptothorax irroratus Ng & Kottelat, 2023Glyptothorax jalalensis Balon & K. Hensel, 1970Glyptothorax jayarami Rameshori & Vishwanath, 2012Glyptothorax kailashi Kosygin, Singh & Mitra, 2020Glyptothorax kashmirensis Hora, 1923Glyptothorax keluk H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2016Glyptothorax ketambe H. H. Ng & Hadiaty, 2009Glyptothorax kudremukhensis K. C. Gopi, 2007Glyptothorax kurdistanicus Glyptothorax lairamkhullensis Devi, Linthoingambi & Singh, 2023Glyptothorax lampris Fowler, 1934Glyptothorax lanceatus H. H. Ng, W. S. Jiang & X. Y. Chen, 2012Glyptothorax laosensis Fowler, 1934Glyptothorax lonah Glyptothorax longicauda S. S. Li, 1984Glyptothorax longinema S. S. Li, 1984Glyptothorax longjiangensis T. P. Mo & X. L. Chu, 1986Glyptothorax maceriatus H. H. Ng & Lalramliana, 2012Glyptothorax macromaculatus S. S. Li, 1984Glyptothorax madraspatanus Glyptothorax major Glyptothorax malabarensis K. C. Gopi, 2010Glyptothorax manipurensis Menon, 1955Glyptothorax medogensis Chen & He, 2024Glyptothorax mibangi Darshan, Dutta, Kachari, Gogoi & D. N. Das, 2015Glyptothorax minimaculatus S. S. Li, 1984Glyptothorax motbungensis Premananda & Singh, 2023Glyptothorax nelsoni Ganguly, N. C. Datta & S. Sen, 1972Glyptothorax ngapang Vishwanath & Linthoingambi, 2007Glyptothorax nieuwenhuisi Glyptothorax obliquimaculatus W. S. Jiang, X. Y. Chen & J. X. Yang, 2010Glyptothorax palakkadiensis Singh & Kosygin, 2025Glyptothorax pallens Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Vatandoust & Freyhof, 2021Glyptothorax pallozonus Glyptothorax panda Ferraris & Britz, 2005Glyptothorax pantherinus Anganthoibi & Vishwanath, 2013Glyptothorax pasighatensis Arunkumar, 2016Glyptothorax pectinopterus Glyptothorax pedunculatus Roberts, 2021Glyptothorax pictus H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2016Glyptothorax platypogon Valenciennes, 1840Glyptothorax platypogonides Glyptothorax plectilis H. H. Ng & Hadiaty, 2008Glyptothorax pongoensis Tenali, Singh, Pratap, Phom, Ratnaraju & Kosygin, 2024Glyptothorax poonaensis Hora, 1938Glyptothorax porrectus H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2017Glyptothorax prashadi Mukerji, 1932Glyptothorax primusplicae Shangningam & Kosygin, 2023Glyptothorax prionotos Ng & Kottelat, 2023Glyptothorax punjabensis Mirza & Kashmiri, 1971Glyptothorax punyabratai Tenali, Sarkar, Chandran & Singh, 2024Glyptothorax quadriocellatus Glyptothorax radiolus H. H. Ng & Lalramliana, 2013Glyptothorax rara Chen & He, 2024Glyptothorax robustus Glyptothorax rugimentum H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2008Glyptothorax rupiri Glyptothorax saisii Glyptothorax sardashtensis Jokar, Kamangar, Ghaderi & Freyhof 2023Glyptothorax schmidti Glyptothorax scrobiculus H. H. Ng & Lalramliana, 2012Glyptothorax senapatiensis Premananda, Kosygin & Saidullah, 2015Glyptothorax siangensis Singh, Kosygin, Rath & Gurumayum, 2024Glyptothorax silviae Coad, 1981Glyptothorax sinensis Glyptothorax steindachneri Glyptothorax stibaros H. H. Ng & Kottelat, 2016Glyptothorax stocki Mirza & Nijssen, 1978Glyptothorax stolickae Glyptothorax strabonis H. H. Ng & Freyhof, 2008Glyptothorax striatus Glyptothorax sufii K. Asghar Bashir & Mirza, 1975Glyptothorax sykesi Glyptothorax telchitta Glyptothorax trewavasae Hora, 1938Glyptothorax trilineatus Blyth, 1860 Glyptothorax vatandousti Jouladeh-Roudbar, Ghanavi & Freyhof, 2023Glyptothorax ventrolineatus Vishwanath & Linthoingambi, 2006 Glyptothorax verrucosus Rameshori & Vishwanath, 2012Glyptothorax viridis Shangningam & Kosygin, 2023Glyptothorax waikhomi Shangningam & Kosygin, 2022Glyptothorax yuensis Shangningam & Kosygin, 2022Glyptothorax zanaensis X. W. Wu, M. J. He & X. L. Chu, 1981Glyptothorax zeiladensis Shangningam, Kosygin & Gurumayum, 2024Glyptothorax zhujiangensis Y. H. Lin, 2003;SynonymsGlyptothorax alidaeii Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Vatandoust & Freyhof, 2021; valid as Glyptothorax silviaeGlyptothorax chavomensis Arunkumar & Moyon, 2017; valid as Glyptothorax ngapangGlyptothorax chindwinica Vishwanath & Linthoingambi, 2007; valid as Glyptothorax burmanicusGlyptothorax coheni Ganguly, Datta & Sen, 1972; valid as Glyptothorax saisiiGlyptothorax fokiensis ; valid as Glyptothorax sinensisGlyptothorax galaxias Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Vatandoust & Freyhof, 2021; valid as Glyptothorax silviaeGlyptothorax hosseinpanahii Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Vatandoust & Freyhof, 2021; valid as Glyptothorax silviaeGlyptothorax laak ; valid as Glyptothorax nieuwenhuisiGlyptothorax merus Li, 1984; valid as Glyptothorax interspinalumGlyptothorax minutus Hora, 1921; valid as Glyptothorax dorsalisGlyptothorax naziri Mirza & I. U. Naik, 1969; valid as Glyptothorax kashmirensisGlyptothorax obscurus S. S. Li, 1984); valid as Glyptothorax quadriocellatusGlyptothorax rubermentus Li, 1984; valid as Glyptothorax longinemaGlyptothorax shapuri Mousavi-Sabet, Eagderi, Vatandoust, & Freyhof 2021; valid as Glyptothorax silviaeGlyptothorax siamensis Hora, 1923; valid as Glyptothorax schmidtiGlyptothorax spectrum Kottelat, 2001; valid as Glyptothorax quadriocellatusGlyptothorax trilineatoides Li, 1984; valid as ''Glyptothorax trilineatus''