Synopsis Fishes of the genus Labeo Cuvier are widely distributed throughout India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand up to South China. They are well represented with about 49 species in tropical Africa and Syria. It has a limited distribution in Sri Lanka; 28 species are known from the Indian region. It is well known that the Indian sub-region of the Oriental Region has perhaps the largest number of fish genera representing nearly 63% of the 89 primary fresh water genera known. Jayaram (1974), while discussing the ecology and distribution of freshwater fishes, considered Labeo as an Ethiopian element represented by ancient well-stabilized species occuring in a wide range of ecological niches, but preferably streams in plains.