From time to time we receive the beautiful, large hillstream loaches Annamia normani (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/annamia_normani_en/) from Vietnam. Recently we received again a shipment of very similar specimens, but they differ clearly from the A. normani we know well by the very contrasting tail fin. Since all specimens (over 50) show this feature, it cannot be […]
Petruichthys brevis is a species of loach that originates from Burma. Here it occurs only in Inle Lake. The species attains a length of only 4-5 cm and thus belongs to the small species of fish. In contrast to most other species of loach, this one is a free swimming, schooling species. The swimming behaviour […]
A funny name for a funny loach! In 2000, Kottelat assigned it to a loach from Laos when describing it scientifically. Quasimodo was the hunchbacked bell-ringer in a world-famous novel by Victor Hugo. And the loach from Laos has a hump – hence the name. However, the loach from Laos has a second characteristic that […]
There is a very great number of scientifically described species of Schistura – more than 300. About 200 of them are currently considered as valid. Only very few species have been imported so far as aquarium fishes. One of the most spectacular of them Schistura cf. balteata, a species collected in the region of Ranchaburi. […]
Along the west coast of India runs a mountain range known as the Western Ghats. There is a hotspot of biodiversity. An unusually large number of species of freshwater fish are endemic there, i.e. only found there and nowhere else in the world. These include the two species of the genus Bhavania, namely B. annandalei […]
From India we could import again this pretty loach. With its 5-7 cm final length it is an ideal bottom fish for moderately tempered (16-22°C) community aquariums with fish of this region, like zebra danios (Danio rerio), rosy barbs (Pethia conchonius), dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia) etc.. In nature, all these species are also occasionally found […]
Some botias, among them B. kubotai, are available only seasonal and for a quite short time per year. The very beautiful species B. kubotai originates from the Salween-tributary Ataran in the border region between Burma and Thailand. It becomes around 8-10 cm long, maximum length reported so far is 13 cm. This species is one […]
One of the most beautiful and largest botias besides the well known and popular Chromobotia macracanthus is the Redtail botia Yasuhikotakia (formerly: Botia) modesta from Southeast Asia. These are gorgeous fish, usually with a very unusual dove blue base coloration that contrasts very nicely with the red fins. But there are also green, yellow-finned variants […]
What the Corydoras are in South America, the Schistura loaches are in Asia. In hundreds of species they populate practically every stream and smaller river of the tropical and subtropical regions of the continent. In many cases, identification is difficult or impossible. Not so with Schistura savona from India. Its “half band” pattern with white […]
In the last years we received horseface loaches (Acantopsis) mainly from Thailand, where the genus is represented by several species, which are difficult to distinguish. Now we have once again received specimens from Indonesia. It is A. dialuzona, the best known species of the genus by name. In older aquarium books this species can be […]
Horseface loaches (Acantopsis) are popular and well-known aquarium fishes, but with 15-20 cm attainable final length (the record is even 25 cm) they become quite large and therefore need larger aquariums. Practically unknown to aquarists are the dwarf horseface loaches (Acanthopsoides), whose seven species grow to only 3.5-5.5 cm in length. The photographed specimens are […]
Usually the different species of banded Coolie loaches (Pangio kuhlii, P. semicincta, P. myersi, P. shelfordi, P. alternans, P. cuneovirgata, P. malayana) are not distinguished in the trade because they are so variable in color and are often imported mixed. The sorting of Coolie loach is an activity you don’t want your worst enemy to […]
The systematics of the Indian deep bodied loaches – they represent the remaining species in the formerly much broader genus Botia – is confused. Botia lohachata was described from Bihar in India as early as 1912. Their coloration is very specific: three Y-shaped bands – the first in front, the second below and the third […]
With the import of Hemimyzon nanensis we were once again able to fill a white spot on the map of fishes that have become known in the aquarium with content. At least for us it is a first import. Hemimyzon belongs to the family of hillstream loaches (Balitoridae) and is closely related to the genus […]
Petruichthys brevis is a species of loach that originates from Burma. Here it occurs only in Inle Lake. The species attains a length of only 4-5 cm and thus belongs to the small species of fish. In contrast to most other species of loach, this one is a free swimming, schooling species. The swimming behaviour […]
For the first time we can offer these cute dwarf spined loach from Vietnam. They become (without caudal fin) at most 3,5 cm long. Lepidocephalichthys kranos was not recognized as an independent species until 2010. The species differences in Lepidocephalichthys are very subtle (otherwise they would have been scientifically identified earlier), but it is quite […]
This is certainly one of the most peculiar loaches ever. The genus Vaillantella – at present three species are distinguished – has a band-shaped dorsal fin running over the entire back, while all other loaches have relatively short, triangular dorsal fins. Vaillantella are black-water-inhabitants and become 12-15 cm long, usually remain however clearly smaller; V. […]
From Vietnam we have once again been able to import beautiful hillstream loaches of the genus Sewellia under the name Sewellia breviventralis. The species S. breviventralis exists and it is anatomically very similar to the imported animals, but there are differences in colouring compared to the live imported animals, whose exact origin is unknown, but […]
This beautiful and interesting loach, which can attain a maximum length of about 12 cm, originates from Thailand. This type of loach is said to be sometimes very aggressive. Y. eos is considered as one of the most aggressive species of all. However, in most cases this is a mistake of the keeper. Y. eos […]
Currently we have very nice zebra loaches, Botia striata, in stock. The animals have an ideal size, 3-4 cm. The maximum length the species can reach is about 6-8 cm. In many species of loach the generic name has changed in the past years. The Clown loach, formerly known as Botia macracanthus, is now Chromobotia […]
Currently we managed once more to import one of the cutest loaches from Borneo. Barbucca diabolica is despite its terrifying name a totally peaceful animal. Sadly almost nothing is known about the species. In nature, it lives in small forest streams in the Kapuas system on Borneo. Our animals have already almost the size of […]
With the import of Hemimyzon nanensis we were once again able to fill a white spot on the map of fishes that have become known in the aquarium with content. At least for us it is a first import. Hemimyzon belongs to the family of hillstream loaches (Balitoridae) and is closely related to the genus […]
Kuhlii loaches (Pangio) are very popular aquarium fish. They are cute, small and often colourful. In community aquariums the small water snakes act as a cleaning crew, which reliably prevents food residues from being left lying around. The animals are completely peaceful and love the company of conspecifics. Kuhlii loaches become restless before thunderstorms and […]
The Inle Lake in Burma has a high proportion of endemic fish species, i.e. fish that occur exclusively there. One of them is Inlecypris auropurpureus, a Danio with vertical stripes on a golden band. The number and shape of the stripes are slightly different for each individual. Inlecypris is closely related to the species placed […]
This beautiful loach comes from Burma, where it is found in the Irrawaddy system. They are exceptionally lively animals that are constantly in action with each other. For this reason, it is not acceptable to combine fish that love peace with Paracanthocobitis rubidipinnis. The animals – they become about 6-7 cm long – are however […]
The loaches of Asia are an enormously species-rich fish group. Similar to the cory catfish in South America, a great part of the species has not yet been scientifically described. A well recognizable species is the Zodiak Loach, Mesonoemacheilus triangularis, from South India; here it occurs endemically in the Western Ghats. The genus Mesonoemacheilus differs […]
We were able to import this charming zebra hillstream loach from Indonesia. The determination of the numerous species of Gastromyzon from Borneo (more than 30 different species are known from the island) is quite tricky, many species look quite similar to each other. So we cannot exclude the possibility that our fish will proof to […]
The tiger loaches (Syncrossus) are a genus of comparatively large (about 15 cm), beautiful loaches. Formerly they have been added to the genus Botia. Currently five species are distinguished, among them Syncrossus berdmorei. Sadly this species is offered only occasionally, because it belongs to the most colorful species of the genus. The natural distribution of […]
These dwarfish relatives of the clown loach have done a kind of odyssey in respect of the generic name in the past. Both were originally described in the genus Botia. Later they were placed in Yasuhikotakia. Only in 2012 they changed to the genus Ambastaia, which has been generated especially for them. This genus contains […]
The genus Yasuhikotakia was separated from the genus Botia by Teodor Nalbant in 2002 and currently comprises 10 species. Some of them are important aquarium fish like Y. morleti (older synonym: Botia horae) and Y. modesta. The newest species on the ornamental fish market is Y. splendida, which was described as Botia splendida in 1995. […]
Hillstream loaches belong to the family of loaches. Probably the most beautiful species can be found in the genus Homaloptera. There are several closely related and similar looking species. In the German one calls it often “saddle-stain-loaches”, English, the animals become “lizard loaches” called. Homaloptera parclitella is an extraordinarily beautiful hillstream loach from the black […]
This charming free swimming dwarf loach originates from Vietnam. It attains a maximum length of about 3.5 cm. For quite a long time it was placed in the genus Yunnanilus, but currently mot scientists see them in the monotypical (this means the genus contains only one species) genus Micronemacheilus. These fish are totally peaceful and […]
There are ten known species in the genus Mesonoemacheilus. They are small, 4-6 cm long, very lively loaches. All of them occur along the Western Ghats, a mountain chain along the west coast of India, the so called Malabar coast. These mountains border the inland against the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats are a so […]
From northern Thailand originates the dwarfish Checkerboard Loach formerly known as Botia sidthimunki, then as Yasuhikotakia s. As it is a rather small (6 cm) and very peaceful species, it represents an ideal member for an asiatic community tank. There it can be kept together e.g. with small representatives of the genera Danio, Rasbora and […]
The Kuhli loaches (Pangio, formerly Acanthophthalmus) form an important part of all smaller community tanks with a southeast Asian character. Here the small „watersnakeletts“ are cleaning and feed all the small food particles that might have been overlooked by the other fish. Of course the loaches have to be fed also; this is no problem […]
You don´t know that name? We didn´t either, until some days ago a taxonomical revision of the horseface loaches of the genus Acantopsis was published. All loaches of the genus used to be named Acantopsis dialuzona in the trade (sometimes the synonym A. choirorhynchos was also used). Currently seven different species are considered to be […]
We received from Thailand this wonderful sport of the Blue Loach (Yasuhikotakia modesta, formerly known as Botia modesta). The species is well known for its variability. Most often the fish are blue with bright red fins, but the body colour can vary from blue over green to blue-grey and the fins can be anything from […]
We received beautiful weather loaches via Hongkong. The genus is characterized by the existence of ten barbels around the mouth. The funny name „weather loach“ was given in medieval times, when these loaches were kept in captivity as weather prophets. These fish breath not only via gills but have an additional breathing technique. When the […]
Now the season for the charming hillstream loaches imported via Hongkong has started. There do exist several species and we also have several species in stock currently. There is a lot of confusion regarding the identity of two species of Pseudogastromyzon, namely P. cheni and P. myersi. Both species look almost identical. And both species […]
Hikari-Danios belong to a scientifically still undescribed species of Danio from Burma. The closest relative is Danio kerri. However, Hikari danios are by far more colorful than D. kerri and really beautiful fish. Keeping and breeding Hikari Danios is absolutely comparable to the very well known zebra fish, Danio rerio. Hikari danios attain a maximum […]
The Tiger Loaches (Syncrossus) have been placed in Botia formerly. The members of Syncrossus have a very sharp head. Currently 6 species are recognized, two of them from Indonesia, namely Syncrossus hymenophysa and S. reversus. Both can be easily told apart, for B. hymenophysa has dark tiger stripes on a light ground, B. reversus light […]
We received this beautiful loch from Thailand. The genus Serpenticobitis contains only three species, all described in 1997/98. They differ from each other only in pattern. The type species, S. octozona, has broad, dark vertical bands with only very narrow light interspaces. In S. zonata the interspaces are much broader; in both species he dark […]
For the first time ever we obtained this hillstream loach from Vietnam. The determination is pretty tricky. All features visible in live fish (position of the dorsal fin, coloration, position of the anus) lead to the genus Pseudohomaloptera, which currently includes six described species: Pseudohomaloptera tatereganii (Popta 1905), P. sexmaculata (Fowler 1934), P. leonardi (Hora […]
Formerly all the deep bodies loaches from Indochina were placed in the catch-all genus Botia. This generic name should be used now only for the Indian species, while the species from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam are placed in Ambastia, Syncrossus, and Yasuhikotakia. We now were able to import for the first time ever a […]
These dwarfish relatives of the clown loach have done a kind of odyssey in respect of the generic name in the past. Both were originally described in the genus Botia. Later they were placed in Yasuhikotakia. Only in 2012 they changed to the genus Ambastaia, which has been generated especially for them. This genus contains […]
Every year in June is import season for Botia-like loaches from China. The genus Sinibotia currently contains six species. The genus Sinibotia differs from Botia by the presence of three pairs of barbel (two maxillary, one mandibulary), while in Botia a fourth pair of barbels is present on the lower lip. Sinibotia robusta is also […]
We received beautiful coloured Kansu loaches (Sinibotia robusta) from China. This comparatively peaceful species is best kept at room temperature (18-24°C) without an additional heater. Only very few specimens available! For our customers: the fish have code 405053 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Text & photo: Frank Schäfer
We were able to import once more hillstream loaches from Vietnam. Instead of the expected Annamia normai (see http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archive/loaches-en/Annamia_normani_en/) we received another species. The determination is a very tricky thing. The most coincidences are to the species Homaloptera leonardi. Especially the scale-less zone between pectoral and ventral fins is said to be very typical for […]
Hillstream loaches are – in general – rather dull coloured fishes. However, there are exceptions and among the most beautiful species are those belonging to the genus Homaloptera. Several, closely related and quite similar species exist. In German they are called “saddle-back loaches”, a commonly used English name is “lizard loaches”. For the first time […]
The extremely charming juveniles of the Panda loach are available only a few weeks per year. Obviously this year was a good one for the fish and they have bred very successful, because a comparatively large number of specimens is offered for comparatively low prices. Among the good number of specimens we were able to […]
Once more we received the fascinating cat-eyed loach, Somileptes gongota, from India. These fish are sand bottom dwellers that originate from higher regions. Temperature between 16 and 24°C, the water must be very clean and poor in bacteria, pH and hardness are of lesser meaning (in the wild, the water has a pH around 7 […]
The loaches of the genus Schistura are spread all over South and Southeast Asia. They have much in common with the catfishes of the genus Corydoras from South America: they are present everywhere and there does exist a large number of species. Schistura spilota from Thailand is one of the largest species at all and […]
The genus Sewellia has made the hillstream loach popular in the hobby. The splendid Sewellia lineolata is named also orante hillstream loach. However, there are more beautiful species in the genus which are imported now and then. Sadly it is often not possible to determine them exactly. We were able to import one of the […]
For the first time we obtained Emperor Loaches (Leptobotia elongata) of a size of 14-18 cm. However, this is not the maximum length reported for that wonderful species! It is said to reach 50 cm and 3 kg in weight! Sadly the gorgeous species is highly endangered in the wild. It is known only from […]
For the first time ever we could import this pretty, red-finned loach from Vietnam, which has the popular name “Peppermint Loach” due to the bright green shine on the flanks. The species attains a length of about 12 cm and is very peaceful. One should keep these fish always in groups, for they are very […]
Yunnanilus brevis is a species of loach that originates from Burma. Here it occurs only in Inle Lake. The species attains a length of only 4-5 cm and thus belongs to the small species of fish. In contrast to most other species of loach, this one is a free swimming, schooling species. The swimming behaviour […]
There is hardly a second species of loach that is as good suited for the home aquarium as Lepidocephalichthys guntea is. The species becomes usually 6-8 cm long, only in very rare occasions larger specimens up to 15 cm have been reported in literature. The animal has a huge distribution area over the north of […]
The clown loach is one of the most popular species of loach at all. One should keep this up to 20-30 cm long species always in a small school, for clown loaches are very social animals. Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
Hillstream loaches have become more and more popular in the past years and some of the smaller species are imported on a regular basis now. Currently we received a new species via Hongkong. The very pretty fish attains a length of 4.5 – 5 cm. The males are already mature, they can be recognizes by […]
This top-rarity among the hillstream loaches reached us from Vietnam, where the genus Annamia is represented by this single species. A second, formally described species (A. thuathiensis), also from Vietnam, needs to be researched. A. normani has also been reported from Laos and Cambodia. Annamia normani attains a maximum length of about 10 cm and […]
We received this beautiful and absolutely peaceful loach from China. The species is an ideal bottom dweller for unheated community tanks. The optimal temperatures for the fish are between 10 and 24°C. Females become around 10 cm long, while males stay much smaller. The fish, which could be named “Largespotted Spiny Loach”, feeds readily on […]
For the first time ever we can offer this charming dwarf loach from the North of India. Maximum length of the species is only 4.5 cm. The fish is undemanding and completely peaceful. For our customers: the animal has code 454882 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Lexicon: Pysoschistura: […]
Currently we have extraodinary wonderful, adult, 4-6 cm long loches of that species, which is also traded under the name of “medusa loach”, in stock. For our customers: the fish have code 455012 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Lexicon: Serpenticobitis: means “snake-Cobitis”; Cobitis is another genus of loach. […]
We received very nice specimens of this nano-loach from Thailand – maximum length reported for the species is only 4.5 cm. Available in limited numbers only! For our customers: the fish have code 454982 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
For the first time we received the fascinating cat-eyed loach, Somileptes gongota, from India. These fish are sand bottom dwellers that originate from higher regions. Temperature between 16 and 24°C, the water must be very clean and poor in bacteria, pH and hardness are of lesser meaning (in the wild, the water has a pH […]
This pretty loach is distributed in Laos, Thailand and parts of China. Obviously it is a close relative of the dwarf chain loach, Y. sidthimunki, and the behaviour of Y. nigrolineata is absolutely the same. However, there are two distinguishing features – besides the coloration: first, Y. nigrolineata become a bit larger, about 8 cm […]
The genus Yunnanilus comprises a comparably high number of species: 30 species are currently recognized as valid, but there are for sure much more species. Most known species have a very small distribution area. If you realize that only a very small part of the waters in the area of the genus have ever been […]
Currently we were able to import this nice hillstream loach from Laos for the first time. The species is restricted to the Kong river influence in Laos and Vietnam. Maximum length is around 6 cm. The species has a very interesting sexual dimorphism. Males – which are in general more tiny than females – develope […]
Vanmanenia pingchowensis Only three specimens of this attractive species were imported recently. The fish are about 8 cm long and seem to be almost fully grown. The species is found in mountain strams, where they live on the bottom between pebbles. Erromyzon sinensis This is a small species, reaching hardly 5 cm. It is interesting […]
Crossostoma lacustre Crossostoma lacustre is a species that we were able to import for the very first time now. It is endemic on Taiwan. That means it occurs nowhere else in the World. Despite its scientific name (lacustre means: „Living in a lake“) it is found in nature only in heavily torrent waters of small […]
This is by far the most often offered hillstream loach. It originates from China and Vietnam, but is currently imported from China only. The whole habitus is very similar to the Sewellia species we presented yesterday. The coloration is formed by pretty black spots on golden underground. The most important fact one has to know […]
Currently we can offer a great number of varieties off hillstream loaches. That´s the reason for this week´s special. We want to show you how interesting and diverse these fishes are. Sewellia lineolata Systematically speaking, the hillstream loaches belong to the family Baltoridae. This means that they are close relatives of the river loaches (Nemacheilus, […]
For the first time we were able to import these charming hillstream loaches. Due to their origin (China) and their black&white coloration we call them dwarf panda hillstream loaches. Although the species has been scientifically described back in 1980 in a Chinese journal almost nothing has been published concerning the beautiful animal since then. Our […]
The brook loaches of the genus Schistura are far spread over South and Southeast Asia. There are hundreds of species, most of them still scientifically undescribed. Almost each flowing water has it´s own species. So it is no surprise that some of the species also became cave-dwellers. We could import a small number of individuals […]
(Nov.6th 2008)Due to its unusual head shape the horseface loach A. coirorhynchos is one of the most popular aquarium fish. In nature they often are residents of clear rivers, where you can find them especially on sandy grounds. Inside the aquarium you also have to provide sandy ground, which allows them to completely bury themselves. […]
(18. Feb.2008) Last week we received this loach which was described by FANG 1930. Their habitat is from the Nanpan-jiang and Xi-jiang basins in Guangdong to Guanxi provinces in China. The maximum size is about 8-10cm. They should be kept in cold water, not over 22-23°C, and they have very high oxygen requirements. To offer […]
(14.Feb.2008) The adult size of the gecko-loach, Homaloptera tweediei, is only approx. 4cm. This species is very interesting for the hobbyists, because they can be kept for a longer period in a water temperature of more than 24°C. The main reason is the origin in central Thailand. After acclimatisation they are very thankful and easy […]
(19.Dec.2007) This, very attractive, probably scientifically not described hillstream sucker reached us from Vietnam. They remember on Sewellia lineolata but their point pattern is finer and also is the for S. lineolata characteristic “stripe” missing. Like all hillstream suckers they come from fast flowing water, there they inhabit rapid flowing streams where they graze on […]
(19.Oct.2007) Last week we received another new item: Schistura pridii. This beautiful small loach (grows up to 4.5cm) comes from Thailand. Exactly they were found in the upper Chao Praya Bassin in the Chiangmai province in the north of Thailand. They come from cool (18-24°C) & fast floating rivers, containing hard and alkaline water, which […]
They behave like barbs, scientifically however they belong to the loaches. Completely contrary to the bottom-oriented way of life of their relatives they populate the free water range as swarm fishes. Their homeland is Burma, where they live in slowly flowing waters and the boundary region of lakes. With a length of approximately 6 cm […]
From northern Thailand originates the Dwarf Loach formerly known as Botia sidthimunki. Since it is a rather small (6 cm) and very peaceful species, it represents an ideal member for an asiatic community tank. There it can be kept together e.g. with small representatives of the genera Danio, Rasbora and Microrasbora . One should always […]
The ever first import of Botia sp. “New Emperor”, probably comes from the borderland of Burma/Thailand. It should appear in a decadal yearly rhythm in a large amount and can only be caught then. An area informed ichthyologist stated that transportation through bordering hilly regions can only be helped by small mopeds, where a slight […]
In our picture you see an interesting mutant of the clown loach, which reached us these days. Although Chromobotia macracanthus formerly known as Botia macracantha is a long time tank inhabitant, it is still not without mysteries. This applies particularly to the breed, so far we have only coincidence success. Also in the maintenance they […]
Sewellia lineolata belongs surely to the most attractive hillstream loaches. Their origin is the of the Mekong basin in China, Viet Nam and Cambodia. There they inhabit fast flowing water sections with rapids and riffles. In the aquarium they like it not to hot a heater is not necessary for their well-being. As day-active insecteaters […]
This loach belonging to the family of River loaches (Baltoridae) originates from Darjeeling and Assam in the eastern Himalayan mountains, Northern India, Nepal and Bhutan, where it lives in fast streaming rivers. This is a peaceful species, which is suitable for a well-kept aquarium. This loach should be nurtured in a well filtered and aerated […]
To an unusually large about 200 species comprehending genus belongs Schistura nicholsi the Redtail Zebra Sand Loach. It originates from the Mekong basin in Thailand and Laos, where it inhabits fast flowing waters on a stony ground. This is to be considered during its aquarium maintenance. In order to ensure a high oxygen content and […]
From the watershed of the Mekong originates this circa 15 cm long getting loach. The name red finned loach is something misleading, since not all animals show this colouring in all stages of age. During their development they change colours and pattern. Young animals usually exhibit a pattern of stripes which disappears during ageing. In […]