One-Eyed Botia!

[StrangeSavant]

I recently purchased two new botia almorhae to add to my shoal. When I got home, I realized that one of them was missing an eye! I suspect this is because he was in a tank with several tiger barbs at the store.

Obviously I'll be keeping him, he can be my little pirate fish.

My question is this, however: Do any of you have fish with... maladies?

[Doc]

I have a large Clown Loach who doesn't have a bottom fork on the caudal fin, it also has a slight twist in its body which leads me to think it was a deformed when born and raised. As it is now touching 5"+ I won't be culling it.

[wasserscheu]

My alpha(*) Y.Caudipunctata only has his right eye, bought her that way.

Whenever I try to get close to her with the camera, she still recognises it even though I move from her blind side. I try to be quiet and cause no vibrations, I even check re rfelections, as I often notice they look via a few corners at me (out of their hiding places). I wonder what senses thos efish have?!
I also have one stiphodon with one eye clouded, it is also a strong one.

(*) I am not sure whether Y.C. have alpha animals. At least R-eye is the strongest and most dominant. Mine all live in there caves on their own, but meet to play, often all of them. Their playing is very hunting (chasing) like, but ine can see they have fun jumping at each other from a hiding place, it's like "the one getting touched has lost", I even suspect they suck off a bit slime from their "victim" as they "click" during the "impact" and swallow after that. But I never see little injuries (white spots) on their skin, like I do on clowns recently and on my large Sinibotia. I guess those come from the larger (of only 2) Syncrossus hymenophysa.

[Botia Robert]

Hi, I recently bought some young clowns. One of them is missing an eye. At first I thought it was a "bowie loach" (Two different coulor eyes). Closer inspection shows one eye didnt form properly. So its more like a pirate loach.
Eye will try to get pictures soon.
I hope it survives QT, it will look cool when it gets bigger!

[Diana]

I have had several fish over the years with one eye. They seem to do just fine competing for food, and in social settings. I get to see these guys a little more often, when their blind side is facing outward they do not scurry away when I get up close to the tank. Currently I have a Pepper Cory that is the largest in the tank.

[Emma Turner]

One of my larger clowns is virtually blind in one eye (this is a fish that I rehomed several years ago, and it was like this when I brought it home with me). This issue doesn't seem to hold it back in any way though - it socialises well, has grown nicely, and is always one of the first to the food.

Emma