Psilorhynchus tenura Arunachalam & Muralidharan 2008

Diagnosed by having the following characters: 35-37 lateral line scales (33-35 up to hypural base with 2-3 scales on caudal fin); 5-6 simple and 10-12 branched rays on the pectoral fin; 17 rays on the caudal fin (9+8); 15 body circumferential scales; body depth 16.8-19.8% SL; caudal peduncle slender and short (depth 5.6-7.1% SL and length 13.7-16.2% SL); ventral region free from scales, with 3-4 scale rows between pelvic fin insertion and pectoral fin insertion along the edge of the body; eye situated on the upper part of head, barely visible from ventral aspect; 7 dorsal spots, 3 predorsal and 4 postdorsal; 8 spots on the body placed in the space between the dorsal spots along the lateral line; presence of a spot at the insertion region of paired fins; and the membrane between simple ray and few anterior branched rays black (Ref. 78734).Description: D iii,8-9; A iii,5; P v, 12, v-vi,10-12; V ii,7 (Ref. 78734).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Analsoft rays: 8

Occurs in streams, preferring cobbled substrate. Found attached to cobbles with their expanded pectoral fins and free swimming in shallow waters with medium flow (Ref. 78734).

Psilorhynchus tenura is a critically endangered fish found in genus Psilorhynchus. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India, where it is restricted to two locations on the Tunga River near Sringeri and also at Korkanhalla inside Kudremukh National Park in Karnataka. It is found in streams and rivers with beds made up of sand, pebbles and gravel.