Sri Lanka
Checklist of Endemic Freshwater Fish Species
This list of freshwater fish species found exclusively in Sri Lanka is based on the taxonomy used in FishBase 2004 (2004). For further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.
FishBase 2004: a global information system on fishes. DVD. WorldFish Center - Philippine Office, Los Banos, Philippines. Published in May 2004.
The current version of this electronic database is accessible here.
OC = a FishBase occurrence record suggests a specimen from another country outside normal stated range ( these vary widely in reliability from obvious misidentifications to being almost certainly correct)
Aplocheilus dayi OC (Aplocheilidae) Ceylon Killifish
Aplocheilus werneri (Aplocheilidae) Werner's Killifish
Acanthocobitis urophthalmus (Balitoridae) Banded Mountain Loach
Schistura notostigma (Balitoridae) Banded Mountain Loach
Clarias brachysoma (Clariidae)
Clarias nebulosus (Clariidae)
Lepidocephalichthys jonklaasi (Cobitidae) Jonklaas's Loach
Devario pathirana OC (Cyprinidae) Barred Danio
Garra ceylonensis (Cyprinidae) Stone Sucker
Garra phillipsi (Cyprinidae) Phillips' Garra
Labeo fisheri (Cyprinidae) Mountain Labeo
Puntius asoka (Cyprinidae) Asoka Barb
Puntius bandula (Cyprinidae) Bandula Barb
Puntius cumingii (Cyprinidae) Two Spot Barb
Puntius martenstyni (Cyprinidae) Martenstyn's Barb
Puntius nigrofasciatus (Cyprinidae) Black Ruby Barb
Puntius pleurotaenia OC (Cyprinidae) Black-lined Barb
Puntius srilankensis (Cyprinidae) Blotched Filamented Barb
Rasbora vaterifloris OC (Cyprinidae) Pearly Rasbora
Rasbora wilpita (Cyprinidae) Wilpita Barb
Schismatogobius deraniyagalai OC (Gobiidae) Red-neck Goby
Sicyopterus halei (Gobiidae) Red-tailed Goby
Sicyopus jonklaasi (Gobiidae) Lipstick Goby
Stenogobius macropterus (Gobiidae)
Stiphodon martenstyni (Gobiidae) Martenstyn's Goby
Monodactylus kottelati (Monodactylidae)
Belontia signata (Osphronemidae) Ceylonese Combtail
Malpulutta kretseri (Osphronemidae) Ornate Paradise Fish
Monopterus desilvai (Synbranchidae)Additional endemic freshwater fish species that were not included in FishBase 2004 are given below. This list is primarily based on information from the 13 March 2009 version of the Catalog of Fishes database (current version here) and includes species described through 2008. In addition to the 29 endemic freshwater fish species listed above, these additional 9 species total 38 species of freshwater fishes known solely from Sri Lanka.
Mystus ankutta (Bagridae) 2008
Laubuca insularis (Cyprinidae) 2008
Laubuca lankensis (Cyprinidae)
Laubuca ruhuna (Cyprinidae) 2008
Laubuca varuna (Cyprinidae) 2008
Puntius kamalika (Cyprinidae) 2008
Puntius kelumi (Cyprinidae) 2008
Puntius reval (Cyprinidae) 2008
Puntius singhala (Cyprinidae) Sinhala Barb