Akysis

Heok Hee Ng, 2007, Akysis pulvinatus, a new species of catfish (Siluriformes: Akysidae) from southern Thailand., Zootaxa 1608, pp. 51-58 : 51

[[ Akysis ]]

Akysis species are diagnosed by the anterior margin of the pectoral spine with a notch visible dorsally and the nasals with expansions beyond the canal-bearing region (de Pinna, 1996). Externally, they can be distinguished by a combination of tuberculate skin, small size (typically under 50 mm SL), and a color pattern typically consisting of yellow patches or bands on a brown body. The genus is found in fast flowing streams and rivers in Southeast Asia, more specifically in the area bordered by the Irrawaddy River drainage to the west, the Mekong delta to the east, the Lancanjiang (upper Mekong) drainage to the north and the Citarum River drainage to the south. There is considerable hidden diversity within the genus, with more than half of the 17 valid species described within the last decade (Ferraris, 2007; Page et al., 2007).