Genus · Barbs

Scaphognathops

Scaphognathops is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Barbs section, recorded from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Adult sizes run from 10 in to 15.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
10–15.5 in
IUCN assessed
3 of 3 · 2 threatened
Recorded from
4 countries

About the genus

Scaphognathops is a genus of Cyprinidae, the carp and barb family, native to the Mekong basin - the atlas records it from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is unusually large for this group of fish, with atlas species running 10–15.5 in, and the "sharp-mouth" common name given to S. bandanensis points to a blade-edged, ventrally set mouth used for scraping algae and biofilm from rock and submerged wood in the Mekong's main channel and larger tributaries.

These are large-river, migratory fish rather than aquarium subjects, with little to no presence in the hobby trade. Conservation is a real concern here: the brief's tally of 1 Vulnerable, 1 Least Concern, and 1 Critically Endangered fits a pattern seen across many large Mekong cyprinids, where dam construction and altered seasonal flow have disrupted the long-distance migrations these fish rely on to spawn.

IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered · 1 Vulnerable · 1 Least Concern · 1

The 3 species

Every Scaphognathops recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Boonyaratpalin & Srirungroj, 1971

Bandan sharp-mouth

15.5 in SL · VU

(Smith, 1931)

10 in SL · LC

Kottelat, 1998

12 in SL · CR

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Scaphognathops. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/scaphognathops/

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