Triplophysa siluroides is a large species of stone loach, which is endemic to the upper parts of the Yellow River basin in the Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan.Wang, S.; and Xie, Y. (2004). China Species Red List. Red List. Higher Education Press, Beijing.He, C.; Zhang, X.; Hou, F.; Zhang, X.; and Song, S. (2008). Threatened fishes of the world: Triplophysa siluroides (Herzenstein 1888) (Balitoridae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 83(3): 305.
T. siluroides reaches up to in standard length and in weight, making it the largest species in its family.Chen, I.S.; G.D. Liu; and A.M. Prokofiev (2016). The complete mitochondrial genome of giant stone loach Triplophysa siluroides (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae). Mitochondrial DNA Part A 27(2): 998-1000. It is a benthic predator that feeds on small fish and invertebrates.Qi, D. (2016). Fish of the Upper Yellow River. Pp. 233–252 in: G.J. Brierley et al. (eds.), Landscape and Ecosystem Diversity, Dynamics and Management in the Yellow River Source Zone. Springer Geography.
Description The species is known to have a large head depressed with 3 barbel pairs and a caudal fin emarginate. The upper body is slightly longer, as for the color the body is of yellowish brown color with brown circles accompanies by cloudy patterns on the sides.
The fish mostly inhabits high elevation levels above the seas levels. Though it is a carnivorous fish it is deemed harmless to humans.
An important food fish,Walker, K.F.; and H.Z. Yang (1999). Fish and Fisheries if China. Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved 10 May 2019. it has seriously declined and is now considered vulnerable according to China's Red List. The species has been bred and raised in captivity.Hua, L. (2013–2014). Comparison of Nutrient Components in Muscles of Wild and Artificial Cultured Triplophysa siluroides. Journal of Fisheries of China.
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