Tor ater
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| Tor ater | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Tor |
| Species: | T. ater |
| Binomial name | |
| Tor ater Roberts, 1999 | |
Tor ater, the dark mahseer, is a species of mahseer, a fish, native to Central Laos.
Tor ater is slightly different from other mahseer, although possessing many typical Cyprinidae features. This mahseer has relatively small scales, with 30 or 31 along the lateral line, but still has a large head comparative to body depth. Compared to another small-scaled mahseer of the Mekong basin, Tor polylepis, Tor ater differs by having slightly larger scales, fewer gill rakers and a concave-shaped snout.[2]
Distribution
This fish is poorly known, even among local fishermen in the Nam Theun watershed where it is found. The type locality of Tor ater is Ban Talang, in the Nam Theun watershed, part of the Mekong basin, in central Laos.[3]
Ecology
It may be expected that Tor ater has similarities with all other mahseer species, being omnivorous, with a diet that likely includes aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, fruit and vegetation, small amphibians and other fish. It would seem probable that adult fish access headwaters for spawning during high water conditions.[citation needed]