Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Osteichthyes
Classis: Actinopterygii
Subclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Superordo: Ostariophysi
Ordo: Cypriniformes
Subordo: Cobitoidea
Familia: Balitoridae
Subfamiliae: Balitorinae - Nemacheilinae
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Plattschmerlen
English: Hillstream loach
Lietuvių: Plokštieji vijūnai
Nederlands: Steenkruipers
Polski: Przylgowate
The hillstream loaches or river loaches are a family, the Balitoridae,[1] of small Eurasian fish. Many of the species are popular for aquaria. They have a number of similarities with the Cobitidae, their sibling family of "loaches", such as multiple barbels around the mouth. They should not be confused with the loricariids, which look similar but are a family of catfish.
Most species are rheophilic, living in swift, clear and well-oxygenated streams. Several species of the subfamily Balitorinae live in fast-flowing streams or torrents and have modified ventral fins used for clinging to rocks.[2]
Sometimes, the Balitoridae are restricted to what is here considered the subfamily Balitorniae, with the Nemacheilinae treated as distinct family Nemacheilidae.
Genera
The family includes over 600 species in more than 60 genera:
Subfamily Balitorinae
* Annamia
* Balitora
* Balitoropsis
* Beaufortia
* Bhavania
* Crossostoma
* Cryptotora
* Dienbiena
* Erromyzon
* Gastromyzon
* Glaniopsis
* Hemimyzon
* Homaloptera
* Homalosoma
* Hypergastromyzon
* Jinshaia
* Katibasia
* Lepturichthys
* Liniparhomaloptera
* Metahomaloptera
* Neogastomyzon
* Neohomaloptera
* Paraprotomyzon
* Parhomaloptera
* Plesiomyzon
* Protomyzon
* Pseudogastromyzon
* Pseudohomaloptera
* Sectoria
* Sewellia
* Sinogastromyzon
* Sinohomaloptera
* Travancoria
* Vanmanenia
Subfamily Nemacheilinae
* Aborichthys
* Acanthocobitis
* Adiposia
* Barbatula
* Barbucca
* Dzihunia
* Ellopostoma
* Eonemachilus
* Heminoemacheilus
* Ilamnemacheilus
* Indoreonectes
* Lefua
* Longischistura
* Mesonoemacheilus
* Micronemacheilus
* Nemacheilus
* Nemachilichthys
* Neonoemacheilus
* Nun
* Oreonectes
* Orthrias
* Oreias
* Paracobitis
* Paranemachilus
* Physoschistura
* Protonemacheilus
* Schistura
* Seminemacheilus
* Sphaerophysa
* Sundoreonectes
* Traccatichthys
* Triplophysa
* Tuberoschistura
* Turcinoemacheilus
* Vaillantella
* Yunnanilus
References
1. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Balitoridae" in FishBase. 05 2006 version.
2. ^ Banister, Keith E. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 100. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
