Candidia barbata (Regan, 1908)
台灣馬口魚,  台灣鬚鱲,  一枝花,  山鰱仔,  憨仔魚
Candidia barbata
photo by Liao, T.-Y.

Family:  Xenocyprididae (East Asian minnows)
Max. size:  14.88 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater; depth range 0 - 10 m
Distribution:  Asia: endemic to Taiwan.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-10; Anal soft rays: 12-13. Diagnosed from all other species of the genus Candidia by the following unique combination of characters: dorsal fin with iii,7 rays; anal fin with iii,9-10 rays; pectoral fin with I, 13-15 rays ; scales on lateral line 51-60; scales above lateral line11-13; scales below lateral line 4-6; predorsal scales 22-26; gill rakers 2-3 + 6-7 (total 9-10); pharyngeal teeth usually 1,4,5 -4,4,1; shallow ventral keel on the posterior half of region between pelvic fin and anus; cheek with a series of 4-6 nuptial tubercles and lower jaw in adult males with 3-5 nuptial tubercles; eye large, check depth about 1.5-2.0 times of eye diameter in adult male; body with a broad, longitudinal bluish-black stripe from upper opercle to caudal fin base, which is irregular and interrupted on anterior half region and forming a large round black mark on caudal fin base; dorsal half of lateral usually uniform dark grayish with very narrow grayish region above bluish-black stripe; ventral half with some blackish brown small spots; and eye with semicircular red-black region on the dorsal one-third to half of eye iris (Ref. 79878). Caudal peduncle slender and belly rounded; barbels 1 pair, minute and located in corner of mouth; lateral line curves downward near belly and upward to middle after reaching caudal peduncle (Ref. 45563).
Biology:  Lives in upper reaches of rivers and likes to stay in clear waters with lower temperature (Ref. 45563).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:  Found in most northern river drainages, along basins of western slope from the Central Mountain Ridge and southwards to the Kaoping River (Ref. 79878). Distributed also in middle and upper reaches of rivers in western Taiwan (Ref. 45563). Reported from Kaoping river in southern Taiwan (Ref. 47271). Status of threat: Vulnerable (Ref. 45563).


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