Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Nemacheilidae (Brook loaches)
Etymology: Schistura: Greek, schizein = to divide + Greek, oura = tail; an allusion to forked caudal fins (Ref. 45335); deansmarti: Named for Dean Smart, British speleologist who collected most of the specimems and a strong voice for cave conservation in Thailand.
Eponymy: Dean Smart is a British speleologist who worked for the Thai Forestry Department. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Vidthayanon & Kottelat.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Asia: Tham Phra Sai Ngam cave in Thailand.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 51711)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal soft rays: 8. Body pinkish white in life, without color pattern; feebly developed suborbital flap in male, with a shallow groove outlining only tip of flap; a long, pointed flap-like nostril tube; eye subcutaneous, vestigial, in a small pit, or apparently missing; eye pit or slit often missing and not connected with groove bordering suborbital flap in male; in females, no groove in position homologous to that of groove behind suborbital flap; eye becoming indistinct at about 4 cm SL; snout conical; dorsal head profile flushed with that of body (Ref. 51711).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Inhabits cave with only stagnant water in the dry season and with reportedly only moderate flow in the rainy season. Occurs approximately 200 m from the entrance. Mostly found resting on the bottom, sometimes free swimming, near crevices where they hide if chased.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Vidthayanon, C. and M. Kottelat, 2003. Three new species of fishes from Tham Phra Wang Daeng and Tham Phra Sai Ngam caves in northern Thailand (Teleostei: Cyprinidae and Balitoridae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 14(2):159-174. (Ref. 51711)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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