Dawkinsia assimilis

Dawkinsia assimilis is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Dawkinsia.^[3] It is endemic to the southern Western Ghats especially to the Southwest Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala.^[1] They are known as Mascara Barb.^[4] Filament barbs are a group of small freshwater fishes found in the rivers of peninsular India and Sri Lanka. There are nine species known under the genus Dawkinsia. These barbs are popular among aquarium hobbyists as an ornamental fish and are also collected from rivers and bred for trade.^[5]

Dawkinsia assimilis
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Subfamily:	Smiliogastrinae
Genus:	Dawkinsia
Species:	D. assimilis
Binomial name
Dawkinsia assimilis (Jerdon, 1849)[2]
Synonyms
Systomus assimilis Jerdon, 1849 Puntius assimilis (Jerdon, 1849) Puntius lepidus Day, 1868

Distribution

The precise extent of its distribution remains unclear. It has been collected from the Netravati, Chalakudy and Kallada river basins in recent years.^[6]

Description

Adults measure up to 4.33 cm. It differs from all other South Asian Puntius.^[7] It is a barb with a black band about as wide as eye across each caudal-fin lobe.