Aquarist Atlas
Catfish · Other & oddball cats

Glyptothorax telchitta

(Hamilton, 1822)

Full synonymy (2)
  • Laguvia telchitta (Hamilton 1822) · earlier combination
  • Pimelodus telchitta Hamilton 1822 · original combination

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

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

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2009
CARESNOT LISTED
Type localityHoogly River at Kalna, 23°13'30.0"N, 88°22'39.0"E, west Bengal, India [Ganges River drainage, India]per Catalog of Fishes
Genus type speciesGlyptothorax striatusdescribed as Glyptosternon striatus McClelland 1842
Scientific size6 in15.2 cm total length
Depth—not recorded
DietBenthic insectivore; no species-specific data
BreedingNot documented
Sexual dimorphismMinimalNot documented
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Glyptothorax telchitta is a hillstream sisorid catfish described by Hamilton in 1822 from the Hooghly River at Kalna in West Bengal, India. FishBase gives a maximum of 6 in TL. It is one of the old Gangetic Glyptothorax and ranges across northern South Asia.

What's in the name

Glyptothorax
  • GlyptothoraxGreek/Latin — from Greek glyptos (carved) and thorax (chest), conventionally read as 'carved chest', for the sculpted thoracic adhesive apparatus
telchitta
  • telchittaLatin — a vernacular-derived name used by Hamilton; its exact origin is not documented here

Taxonomy & naming

Described by Francis Hamilton in 1822 and later moved to Glyptothorax, hence the parentheses. The type locality is the Hooghly River at Kalna, West Bengal, India (Ganges drainage). It is a valid species in the Catalog of Fishes. The epithet appears to be a vernacular name from Hamilton's Bengal sources.

Morphology

A flattened catfish with a thoracic adhesive pad and spined dorsal and pectoral fins. FishBase gives a maximum of 6 in TL.

Habitat

FishBase lists Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, including the Ganges drainage, and describes a benthopelagic, potamodromous fish (one that migrates within rivers) living mainly in hill streams. Glyptothorax live among rocks in clear, flowing water.

Feeding

A benthic insectivore; no species-specific data.

Mating

Mating behaviour is not documented for Glyptothorax telchitta in the sources available to the atlas. Sexes cannot be separated reliably from the information available.

Breeding

No spawning or breeding record is known to the atlas.

In the aquarium

Needs well-oxygenated, flowing water, rocks and cover; best kept with peaceful rheophilic tankmates. Rarely available.

Conservation

The IUCN Red List assessed Glyptothorax telchitta as Least Concern in 2009. Hillstream fishes are sensitive to siltation, damming and altered flow.

Common questions

Glyptothorax telchitta: how big does it get?
Up to 6 in total length (TL).
Glyptothorax telchitta: where does it come from?
It is recorded from India.

Related species compared · Glyptothorax

SpeciesAdult sizeTemperaturepHHardnessIUCN
Glyptothorax telchittathis species6 in TL———LC
Glyptothorax dorsalis6 in SL———LC
Glyptothorax lampris6 in TL64–79 °FpH 6.5–7.5—NE
Glyptothorax macromaculatus6.5 in SL———LC
Glyptothorax pulcher4 in SL61–73 °FpH 6.5–7.5—NE
Glyptothorax schmidti3.5 in SL———LC
Glyptothorax sentimereni3 in SL64–75 °FpH 6–7.5—NE
Glyptothorax intonsus3 in SL68–79 °FpH 6–7.5—NE
Three-lined torrent catfishGlyptothorax trilineatus12 in TL50–68 °FpH 6–7.2—LC
Glyptothorax buchanani2 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 basin

Sources

  1. FishBase — Glyptothorax telchitta
  2. Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, California Academy of Sciences) — Glyptothorax telchitta

Naming authority: Glyptothorax telchitta in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Glyptothorax telchitta. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/catfish/glyptothorax-telchitta/

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