Schistura epixenos Kottelat 2017

Schistura epixenos can be diagnosed from its congeners in the Xe Bangfai andadjacent drainages in central and southern Laos by the following combination of characters: pale brown body with 13-17 dark brown bars, about as wide as interspaces, reaching downwards to the level of pectoral-fin base; processus dentiformis narrow, pointed; lateral line complete; caudal peduncle depth 1.3-1.5 times in its length; body slender (13.7-15.1 % SL); scales present in predorsal area; pelvic fin not reaching anus; and origin of pelvic fin below origin of dorsal fin (Ref. 117206).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Analsoft rays: 8

Occurs in stream characterized by forest cover, very narrow, dense cover of branches, bamboos and shrubs. The stream is shallow with depth of 1-30 cm and bottom covered by thick mud (probably due to the track construction and recent agricultural work), at places with thicklayers of leaf litter (Ref. 117206).

Schistura epixenos is a species of stone loach in the genus Schistura from the Nakai Plateau in Laos. It was described by the Belgian ichthyologist Maurice Kottelat in 2017 and does not feature in Fishbase yet.