Loaches Online Forum

Hello all
I am new here so let me introduce myself briefly. I am an aquarist and scientist from the UK with a personal and professional interest in all things fishy. I am currently in Borneo where I have been on an expedition in the forest in Central Kalimantan. In the small black water (pH = 4) river by our camp I caught this lovely loach that I have so far failed to identify. I have tried using the pictoral guide on this site, but to no avail. Could the experts here please point me in the right direction?

This specimen was caught in intact forest over peat substrate:


The others were caught over white sand/gravel left by past gold mining operations, over here:


On this substrate the (smaller) fish were pale but coloured up rapidly in dark bucket.



Many thanks in advance.

Nemacheilus species, or related genus?

Not an expert but it looks a lot like n. selangoricus or spiniferus

I would definitely agree that it looks like Nemacheilus sp.

atmichaels wrote:Not an expert but it looks a lot like n. selangoricus or spiniferus

Thanks. N. selangoricus group looks like a good call. The pattern of the fish I caught is consistently different though from any of the photos I can find of species in this group. My largest specimen (1st photo) was 70mm SL and the maximum recorded length for N. selangoricus is 59mm. Also, none of the species in this group appear to have been recorded from Central Kalimantan.

Hi Frank
N. spiniferus was my first guess.
Made me think of Nemacheilus tebo.
http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/57/57rbz119-125.pdf
Size would fit, close to N. selangoricus-group. Description comes close.
But: no record outside Lake Tebo-region.
And we have no good pics
Cheers Charles

Thanks Charles. Interesting suggestion. I will follow up withth authors.

Chrysolaimos ?