RITA (GENUS)

'''Rita''' is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Bagridae. It includes six extant species, '''R. chrysea''', '''R. gogra''', '''R. kuturnee''', '''R. macracanthus''', '''R. rita''', and '''R. sacerdotum''', and one extinct species, '''R. grandiscutata'''.^[1]

Contents

Distribution

Description

Ecology

References

Distribution

''Rita'' species are found in large rivers throughout the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar.^[2] ''R. chrysea'' inhabits the Mahanadi River system in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, India. ''R. gogra'' originates from rivers of Deccan up to the Krishna River system in India. ''R. kuturnee'' comes from Peninsular India from Deccan rivers up to Krishna river system. ''R. macracanthus'' is known from the Indus River drainage in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwestern India. ''R. rita'' is distributed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. ''R. sacerdotum'' originates from the Irrawaddy River basin in Myanmar.

Description

''Rita'' species are capable of reach 150 centimetres (59 in) TL; this large size is found in ''Rita rita''. However, mature speciments of about 20–30 cm (5–12 in) SL are more commonly encountered.
These catfish have a single pair of mandibular barbels, an elongated Weberian apparatus firmly sutured to the basioccipital, and the sensory canal on the posttemporal enclosed with bone.

Ecology

''R. chrysea'' occurs in rivers and large streams. ''R. gogra'' and ''R. kuturnee'' inhabit large rivers. ''R. rita'' is a sluggish, bottom-dwelling catfish. It inhabits rivers and estuaries, preferring muddy to clear water. It also prefers backwater of quiet eddies.
''R. macracanthus'' feeds on invertebrates and small fishes. ''R. rita'' is a carnivorous catfish; the bulk of its diet consists of mollusks. In addition, it feeds on small fishes, crustaceans, insects, as well as on decaying organic matter.^[3]
''R. chrysea'' spawn during the monsoon months. The breeding season for ''R. macracanthus'' lasts form June to the end of July, during which the fish migrates to colder waters in shoals.

References

1. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types, , Carl J., Jr., Ferraris, Zootaxa, 2007
2. ''Rita macracanthus'', a new riverine catfish (Teleostei: Bagridae) from South Asia, , Heok Hee, Ng, Zootaxa, 2004
3. Surface architecture of the mouth cavity of a carnivorous fish ''Rita rita'' (Hamilton, 1822) (Siluriformes, Bagridae), , Madhu, Yashpal, Belg. J. Zool.,