Myxocyprinus

Myxocyprinus
Juveniles
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Catostomidae
Subfamily: Myxocyprininae
Fowler, 1958
Genus: Myxocyprinus
(T. N. Gill, 1878)
Species:
M. asiaticus
Binomial name
Myxocyprinus asiaticus
(Bleeker, 1865)
Synonyms
  • Carpiodes asiaticus Bleeker, 1864

Myxocyprinus is a monotypic genus of freshwater fish in the monotypic subfamily Myxocyprininae within the family Catostomidae.[1][2] The only species is Myxocyprinus asiaticus, also known as the Chinese sucker.[1]

It is a popular freshwater aquarium fish[3] known under various common names, Chinese high-fin banded shark,[4] Chinese banded shark, Chinese sailfin sucker,[5] high-fin (also spelled hi-fin[6]) banded loach, high-fin loach, Chinese high-fin sucker, sailfin sucker, topsail sucker, Asian sucker, wimple carp, wimple,[5] freshwater batfish, Hilsa herring, rough fish, Chinese or Asian zebra high-fin shark, Chinese or Asian zebra high-fin sucker,[3] Chinese emperor, Siamese sucker,[7] Chinese banded shark,[8] and entsuyui in Japanese. Despite its common names, it bears no relation to real sharks.[9] It grows to about 1.35 m (4 ft 5 in) long[10] and is unsuitable for most home aquariums.[11][5]

It has declined drastically due to pollution, dams (preventing its natural breeding migration), overfishing, introduced species and collection for the aquarium trade.[11][5][9] As a consequence it has been placed on the Chinese list of endangered species and is a state protected species.[11][9]

  1. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Myxocyprinus". FishBase. February 2024 version.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Myxocyprinus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b Freshwater batfish, Whozoo.org, December 1999, retrieved on: August 21, 2007 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Chinese high fin banded shark, Chinese sucker - Myxocyprinus asiaticus". Aquaticcommunity.com.
  5. ^ a b c d Lundie, Adam. Myxocyprinus asiaticus, Fishprofiles.com, 2007, retrieved on: August 21, 2007.
  6. ^ "Photos of large hi-fin shark?". AquariumCentral.com.
  7. ^ Chinese emperor, WhoZoo.org, 2000, retrieved on: August 21, 2007 Archived February 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Chinese banded shark (Myxocyprinus asiaticus), Aqua-Fish.net, 2007, retrieved on: August 21, 2007
  9. ^ a b c Koga, James S. Chinese high fin banded shark Archived 2016-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, Cal Poly Pomona, September 2003. Retrieved on 21 August 2007
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference record was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c SeriouslyFish: Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Retrieved 9 May 2013