Aquarist Atlas
Barbs · Indian & Sri Lankan barbs

Psilorhynchus sucatio

(Hamilton, 1822)

River stone carp

Full synonymy (3)
  • Cyprinus sucatio Hamilton 1822 · original combination
  • Psilorhynchus kuwana Arunachalam, Vijayakumar & Mayden 2018 · junior synonym
  • Psilorhynchus sucatio var. damodarai David 1953 · junior synonym

Source: Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (Fricke, Eschmeyer & Van der Laan, eds.), California Academy of Sciences.

3 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2010
CARESNOT LISTED
Type localityBaruni, Northern Bengal, Indiaper Catalog of Fishes
Scientific size3 in8.2 cm total length
Temperature59–73 °F15–23 °C
pH6.8–7.4neutral
Depth—not recorded
DietPicks small invertebrates and algae
BreedingNot recorded
Sexual dimorphismNot documentedNot recorded in available sources
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Psilorhynchus sucatio is a small torrent-dwelling cyprinoid of northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal that FishBase gives at 3 in TL. Hamilton described it in 1822 from northern Bengal.

What's in the name

Psilorhynchus sucatio — sy-lo-RIN-kus

Psilorhynchus
  • psilosGreek — smooth, bare
  • rhynchosGreek — snout

Taxonomy & naming

Hamilton described the species in 1822 from Baruni, northern Bengal, India. It belongs to the family Psilorhynchidae, the stone carps, which are not close to the true barbs.

Morphology

A slim, streamlined fish with a flat belly and large pectoral fins that grip the bottom in current. FishBase gives a maximum of 3 in TL.

Habitat

FishBase lists it as freshwater, demersal and subtropical, from India, Bangladesh and Nepal. It lives mainly at the edges of sandy streams, common near emergent or overhanging vegetation, and prefers the pools and runs of mountain streams. FishBase gives 59–73 °F and pH 6.8 to 7.4.

Feeding

It picks small invertebrates and algae from sand and stone. The diet has not been described in detail.

Mating

Mating behaviour has not been described.

Breeding

Reproduction has not been documented in the sources the atlas uses.

In the aquarium

It needs a cool, well-oxygenated tank with good flow and a sand or fine gravel bottom, kept in a group. Care notes beyond that are not recorded for this species.

Conservation

IUCN lists the species as Least Concern, assessed in 2010. Specific threats are not described.

Common questions

River stone carp (Psilorhynchus sucatio): how big does it get?
Up to 3 in total length (TL).
River stone carp (Psilorhynchus sucatio): what water temperature does it need?
The atlas records 59–73 °F for this species.
River stone carp (Psilorhynchus sucatio): what water chemistry suits it?
pH 6.8–7.4.
River stone carp (Psilorhynchus sucatio): where does it come from?
It is recorded from India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Biotope tank mates

Atlas fish recorded from the same waters, whose recorded temperature and pH ranges overlap this one’s and whose adults are within twice its size. A shortlist to research, not a stocking plan: temperament, territory and diet are not checked. Other genera only; this genus is compared below.

Related species compared · Psilorhynchus

SpeciesAdult sizeTemperaturepHHardnessIUCN
River stone carpPsilorhynchus sucatiothis species3 in TL59–73 °FpH 6.8–7.4—LC
Psilorhynchus robustus2.5 in SL———DD

Recorded ranges from each species’ own page; hardness is the tolerance its sources give, not a measurement of the water it lives in.

Also from the Ganges-Brahmaputra drainage

Sources

  1. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Psilorhynchus sucatio (Hamilton, 1822)
  2. FishBase — Psilorhynchus sucatio
  3. IUCN Red List — Psilorhynchus sucatio

Naming authority: Psilorhynchus sucatio in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Psilorhynchus sucatio. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/barbs/psilorhynchus-sucatio/

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Where it has been recorded

42 georeferenced records (GBIF). Each point is a field observation or museum specimen — pan and zoom to explore where this species turns up. The coordinates come straight from GBIF and are often rounded or tied to the nearest town or river landing, so a dot can sit just beside the actual water rather than in it.

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