File Entry: A new record of endangered Jonklaas Loach Lepidocephalichthys jonklaasi Deraniyagala, 1956 (Cobitidae; Cypriniformes) from Pahiyangala, Kalu river basin.

Loaches are small fishes that adapted for bottom dwelling life. The bodies are sub-cylindrical with flattened ventral  aspect. They all belong to family Cobitidae of super family 
Cobitoidea (Loaches) under the Order Cypriniformes. They  have a sub-orbital spine on their cheeks below the eyes. The body is covered with minute cycloid scales and they possess three or more pairs of short barbels (Nelson, 1976). They do not have air bladder as they always settle on the bottom. These fishes are very much similar to Gobies both from their morphology and habits. Two groups can easily be separated by, the presence of second dorsal fin and united pelvic fins of Gobies. There are two species of Cobitoid Loaches in Sri Lanka, which both belong to the genus Lepidocephalichthys. Among them L. thermalis is common fish distributed throughout the country. The second species L. jonklaasi is a endangered and protected endemic species, which restricted to the South Western ichthyological zone.