Nangra Day, 1877

Alfred W. Thomson & Lawrence M. Page, 2006, Genera of the Asian Catfish Families Sisoridae and Erethistidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes)., Zootaxa 1345, pp. 1-96 : 34-36

Nangra Day, 1877

Fig. 12

Nangra Day, 1877a : 493. (Type species Pimelodus nangra Hamilton, 1822 , by absolute tautonymy). Gender feminine.

Diagnosis (based, in part, on Roberts & Ferraris 1998): Depressed head; dorsolateral eyes; elongated snout; small conical teeth in lower jaw; branchiostegal membranes free from isthmus; no serrations on anterior margin of pectoral spine; well-developed maxillary barbel membrane; very long nasal and maxillary barbels; palatal teeth present.

Nangra is distinguished from all sisorids by having maxillary barbels that extend beyond the pectoral-fin base (vs. extending no further than the pectoral-fin base), by having very long nasal barbels (barbel length much greater than the eye diameter, often as long as the head vs. length less than the eye diameter), and by having palatal teeth. Nangra is further distinguished from Gagata by having the branchiostegal membranes free from the isthmus (vs. broadly fused to the isthmus), depressed (vs. compressed) head, and by having a well-developed maxillary barbel membrane. Nangra is further distinguished from Gogangra by a well-developed maxillary barbel membrane and no (vs. small) serrations on the anterior margin of the pectoral spine. Nangra is further distinguished from Bagarius by having only small conical teeth in the lower jaw (vs. teeth of the lower jaw markedly heterodont, consisting of two or three outer rows of relatively numerous, close-set conical teeth, and one or two inner rows of less numerous, widely separated, and much larger conical teeth). Nangra is further distinguished from Sisor by lacking serrations on the anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine (vs. serrations present on both anterior and posterior margins of pectoral-fin spine), by having branchiostegal membranes free from the isthmus (vs. broadly fused to the isthmus), no series of bony plates on the dorsum, the uppermost caudal-fin ray not greatly elongated (vs. greatly elongated, more than half the length of the body), and no spine in the adipose fin.

Description: Dorsal fin with 1 spine, 6-9 branched dorsal rays; pectoral fin with 1 spine, 7-9 branched fin ray; 6 pelvic-fin rays; 7-11 branched anal-fin rays. Head depressed; snout elongate. Eyes small, dorsolateral. Palatal teeth present. Maxillary barbel extending at least to pectoral spine tip and usually beyond pelvic fins, with well-developed membrane, stiff base. Coracoid process not visible externally; pectoral-fin spine smooth anteriorly, serrate posteriorly. Dorsal spine smooth anteriorly and posteriorly. No thoracic adhesive apparatus. Paired fins non-plaited.

Distribution: Indus, Ganges, Meghna and Bramhputra drainages, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal (Roberts & Ferraris, 1998).