Rita (genus)

Rita
Temporal range: Lower Pliocene–Recent
Rita rita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Bagridae
Genus: Rita
Bleeker, 1854
Synonyms

Gogrius
Day, 1867

Rita is a genus of bagrid catfishes found in southern Asia.

Species

There are currently six species described in this genus:[1]

Two fossil species, R. grandiscutata (Lydekker, 1886) & R. theobaldi (Lydekker, 1886), are known from the Lower Pliocene of the Siwalik Formation in Punjab, India.[2]

Description

The species in this genus are usually between 19 and 30 cm in length with the exception of R. rita (150 cm) and R. sacerdotum (200 cm).[1]

These catfish have a single pair of mandibular barbels, an elongated Weberian apparatus firmly sutured to the basioccipital, and the sensory canal on the posttemporal enclosed with bone.[3]

Ecology

Catfish of this genus are usually found in larger streams and rivers.

References

  1. 1 2 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). Species of Rita in FishBase. December 2011 version.
  2. http://fishindex.atw.hu/teleostei/clupeomorpha/siluriformes/bagridae.htm
  3. Ng, Heok Hee (2004). "Rita macracanthus, a new riverine catfish (Teleostei: Bagridae) from South Asia" (PDF). Zootaxa 568: 1–12.


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