Taxonomy & naming
Hamilton described the species in 1822 as Cyprinus chagunio from the Yamuna and the northern rivers of Bihar and Bengal. Smith erected Chagunius for it in 1938, which is why the authority is in parentheses. FishBase gives chaguni as its common name, the same word as the species epithet.
Morphology
A heavy-bodied barb with a blunt snout and a ventral, sucking-type mouth. FishBase gives a maximum of 19.5 in TL. Colour and fin details are not described in the sources the atlas uses.
Habitat
FishBase describes adults in large rivers with rocky bottoms, clear fast water and little or no vegetation. It is listed as freshwater, demersal and potamodromous, in tropical water of 72–81 °F, with a stated minimum pH of 8.0. It occurs in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Feeding
The diet is not described in FishBase.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not described in the sources the atlas uses.
Breeding
Breeding is not described in the sources the atlas uses. FishBase records the fish as potamodromous, moving within river systems.
In the aquarium
The species is a large river fish with no established place in home aquaria. Any attempt needs a very large tank or pond, strong flow, clear well-oxygenated water and a rocky bottom. FishBase notes that it is made into fish paste locally.
Conservation
FishBase lists the species as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, assessed 22 January 2010. FishBase notes it is made into fish paste.