Teleostei (teleosts) >
Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) >
Indostomidae (Armored sticklebacks)
Etymology: spinosus: Specific name from the Latin spinosus, spinous, alluding to the serrated ridges of the head bones that give the animal a spiny appearance.
More on authors: Britz & Kottelat.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Asia: Mekong basin.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 43281)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 3 - 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6; Anal soft rays: 6. Differs from I. paradoxus and I. crocodilus by the following characters: ridges of head bones strongly serrated, especially in larger males (versus weakly serrated in I. crocodilus, weakly or not serrated in I. paradoxus, depending on the bones; and color pattern (dark brown ventral side, especially on head, with dark brown opercle and throat with numerous brown spots (versus light brown ventral side, throat white, rarely with a few spots in I. paradoxus and I. crocodilus). Further differs from I. paradoxus in having conspicuous dark brown to black bars in dorsal and anal fins of mature males (versus absence, or with narrow light brown bars in sexually active males) (Ref. 38647).
Inhabits slow to standing waters from among roots of shore vegetation and thick beds of leaf litter (Ref. 38647). Found in streams, lakes and swamps (Ref. 43281).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Britz, R. and M. Kottelat, 1999. Two new species of gasterosteiform fishes of the genus Indostomus (Teleostei: Indostomidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 10(4):327-336. (Ref. 38647)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).