What are these? **updated with new pics 17th Sept**

[Thomas]

Hello Markus and welcome here,

In the DATZ 02/07 is a pic of Yunnanilus cruciatus, in my eyes are Emmas loaches no Yunnanilus. The dorsalfin of the Y. cruciatus is more roundish, compared with Emmas fishes. If I look right, the dorsale of your loaches are "clean", Emmas have one row of little markings in their d-fin.

I tend more to Nemacheilus.

Bye,

Thomas

[Markus Schulz]

Hi Thomas,

mhh `That`s intresting. Our(my Girlfriend`s loaches)are more "tigerstriped", the caudalspot is bigger.

But i`ll guess, that theY´re looking like Nemacheilus and swimming like Yunnanilus.

cheers Markus

[Emma Turner]

Hi Markus,

I would agree that your loaches are Yunnanilus cruciatus. What a great find! As Thomas has pointed out, there are quite a few subtle differences between those and my loaches. Yours have the typical Yunnanilus shaped spine, and more of a rounded dorsal fin. They look identical to the Y. cruciatus featured in Serov/Nezdoliy/Pavlov's "The Freshwater Fishes of Central Vietnam" book.

Would love to see some photographs of the Y. cruciatus after they settled in to the aquarium, and would also be very interested to hear how they behave.

Best wishes,

Emma

[Graeme Robson]

Would love to see some photographs of the Y. cruciatus after they settled in to the aquarium, and would also be very interested to hear how they behave.

I agree!

[Emma Turner]

Two weeks on, here are some more pics. I must admit I am still confused as to what these are. They now spend a quite a bit more time hovering/swimming in mid water like Yunnanilus brevis do and which Schistura/Nemacheilus don't usually tend to do (at least not nearly so frequently).



















Emma

[daspricey]

Very nice Emma! They certainly look like they are starting to take the typical Yunnanilus shape!

[Mark in Vancouver]

They're really handsome loaches, Em.

[Emma Turner]

My supplier reckons these came from the Indawgyi Lake area.

Emma

[Mike Ophir]

My supplier reckons these came from the Indawgyi Lake area.

Emma

Could that lead us to believe they are Yunnanilus?

Mike

[The.Dark.One]

I still don't think they are a Yunnanilus. In Yunnanilus the anterior nare has a short narrow tube whereas in these fish it is quite broad and long.
See nare in Emma's photo:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ph ... fullscreen

I was leaning towards a Nemacheilus (putaoensis or acuticephalus, but I don't think they are these now as some of their morphology doesnt match).

The closest I can find and I am reasonably certain on is Physoschistura rivulicola. Everything matches the description given in Kottelat's Indochinese Nemacheilines.

[Mike Ophir]

I still don't think they are a Yunnanilus. In Yunnanilus the anterior nare has a short narrow tube whereas in these fish it is quite broad and long.
See nare in Emma's photo:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ph ... fullscreen

I was leaning towards a Nemacheilus (putaoensis or acuticephalus, but I don't think they are these now as some of their morphology doesnt match).

The closest I can find and I am reasonably certain on is Physoschistura rivulicola. Everything matches the description given in Kottelat's Indochinese Nemacheilines.

I agree. They look more like a Nemacheilus type fish than Yunnanilus. Perhaps an elongated Schistura species. Its really difficult to tell unless you have some preserved specimens to take a good look at under a microscope, especially with so many species of Balitoridae resembling each other.

Mike

[Graeme Robson]

Anyone know of the Tuberoschistura......

[The.Dark.One]

Anyone know of the Tuberoschistura......

Tuberoschistura have longer pectoral fins and more dorsal fin rays than these fish. If you read the colour and pattern description and morphology of Physoschistura rivulicola it matches these fish. Some of the more evenly striped ones also have a look of P. raoi. If Emma could get a high res close up of the mouth from underneath, and a of the lateral line this would confirm one way or another.

[Emma Turner]

Many thanks, TDO. I will try my best for closer shots, but this is going to be a very difficult task as these don't stop moving!!!

Emma

[Emma Turner]

The.Dark.One has set me a very tricky task! Even in the confines of my smallest photo tank (which is very small) these loaches were still super active and were hard to photograph up close. Here is what I got, and I sent larger sized files of these (except for the crappy overhead shot) to TDO to see if they help him with ID:











Emma