Pangio longimanus (miniature eel-loach)
A male specimen of Pangio longimanus, a recently described miniature species of eel-loach.
Pangio longimanus, or the miniature eel-loach, is a newly identified freshwater fish species from Central Laos.
It was described scientifically for the first time this month by Museum researcher Ralf Britz and his co-author Maurice Kottelat in the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters.
P. longimanus is the smallest species known so far in the genus Pangio, a group of eel-shaped fishes that live in the sandy beds of slow-moving rivers and streams.
Species detail
Pangio longimanus males have very elongated pectoral fins.
P. longimanus is recognised by:
- its eel-like shape
- its tiny size (adults are less than 23mm long)
- the extremely elongated pectoral fins of the male. The species name refers to these - longus means long, and manus means hand.
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Taxonomy
Find out about the characteristics of this miniature fish, including pigmentation, and how it can be distinguished from other Pangio species.
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Distribution and habitat
Pangio longimanus has so far only been found in one location in central Laos. Learn about the local environment.
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References
Get reference information, including details of the paper containing the new species description.
Images
A male Pangio longimanus eel-loach from Laos. This specimen measures 20.2mm standard length. Top = lateral view, bottom = dorsal view. (Images: Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum)
A female Pangio longimanus eel-loach from Laos. This specimen measures 22.9mm standard length. Top = lateral view, bottom = dorsal view. (Images: Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum)
Close-up of male Pangio longimanus head, showing the barbels at the mouth. (Image: Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum)
Pangio longimanus males have very elongated pectoral fins. (Image: Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum).
View of the location in Laos where the Nam Leuk and Nam Gnong streams meet, where Pangio longimanus has been found. © Maurice Kottelat
About the author
Author comments
There is still a lot to discover about Pangio species:
- It will be interesting to find out if the skeleton of Pangio longimanus has also been modified and developmentally truncated as in the miniature cypriniforms Paedocypris and Danionella.
- A recent account of the Pangio from Myanmar (Britz and Maclaine, 2007) revealed a number of new species. The same can be anticipated from countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
Glossary
Pectoral fins
A pair of fins located just behind a fish's head. They correspond to the forelimbs of mammals.
