Redescription of the Striped Catfish Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) (Siluriformes: Bagridae), India

The Bagrid Catfish Mystus tengara was described from a pond located in India under the genus Pimelodus. The validity of the fish has been confused and has frequently been treated as a synonym of Mystus vittatus. In this study, the species is rediagnosed and redescribed on the basis of fresh material collected from the Ganga-Brahmaputra drainage. M. tengara is diagnosed from congeners in having a unique combination of the following characters: body with a distinct tympanic spot and four brown stripes which are separated by a pale narrow interspace; origin of adipose-fin not reaching the base of the last dorsal-fin ray, 31-42 gill rakers on first branchial arch, eye rounded with a diameter 19.0-23.8 % HL and dorsal spine length 12.3-17.2 % SL, maxillary barbel length 254.5-360.5 % HL. A key for the identification of Mystus species from Ganga-Bramaputra drainage is also provided.