My loach has a tongue!

[dusty]

It is a hillstream loach. I believe it is a Beaufortia kweichowensis. I have had the fish for almost two years and I just noticed the tongue. I have never heard of one of these fish having a tongue. I was shocked. As soon as I finished recording I started searching online for a bit more information. I spent several hours reading up on the fish and I found no reference to a tongue. This was not an isolated incident. I have noticed it a couple more times. This is a truly awesome fish. I am amazed at how I can have a fish for so long and still be learning new things.

If you have experience with the hillstream loach or have seen one with a tongue before please let me know.

Has anyone heard of this before?

Here is the video. Its not the greatest. Im hoping get a better shot soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKPZ1AZI9Zk

[Stonecoloured]

Good afternoon,

I don't mean to alarm you, but that looks like a fluke/paracite of some kind.

I don't think it's a tongue.

I hope others, who are more knowledgable, will be able to help you.

x

[dusty]

That is possible but if I had a parasite problem I would have thought that there would be other signs. The loach appears perfectly healthy. It eats well and is very active around the tank. The video was taken sometime in January I think. If it was parasites wouldn't the fish be very sick or dead by now?

I will keep a closer eye on her. If there is a problem I want to take care of it.

If anyone has more information I would be grateful. Im not convinced that its a tongue. I know that most fish don't really have tongues. But it sure did look and act like a tongue.

[Jim Powers]

I don't think that's a tongue either. I have been keeping hillstreams for over 12 years and have never seen anything like that.
That's every strange.

[dusty]

I don't think that's a tongue either. I have been keeping hillstreams for over 12 years and have never seen anything like that.
That's every strange.

Do you think it is a parasite? The video doesn't show it very well but the loach was actively grazing. The "tongue" or what ever it is was sweeping from side to side as if it was. It looked like a controlled muscular action. I'm stumped.

[Jim Powers]

It looks similar to my beaufortia eating bloodworms.
I just wonder if its a parasite that has almost outgrown its host. Have you ever seen the movie "Alien"?

[dusty]

I have seen clips but not the whole thing.

I did find something that looked like a tiny leech on the glass a few weeks ago. I wonder if that is related.

If I see it again should I treat the fish in some way?

[redshark1]

Hi, I have an interest in invertebrates and had a look at your video twice.

From my observation and experience I decided that the "tongue" may not be alive at all, but may be some debris stuck to the fishes mouth/teeth. Any type of debris could do this, especially beard algae or similar.

I could see no evidence of it being alive, though it does of course move with the breathing of the fish.

I don't think it is a parasite, therefore, and so removing it would probably not be worthwhile.

Try and get a good look through a 5 x or even a 10 x magnifying glass. That will probably reveal the truth.

I hope I am right and that this is nothing to be worried about.

Please keep us posted.

[dusty]

Thanks. I have been watching closely and I have a better camera sitting by the tank. Im hoping to get a good shot that I can blow up. So far nothing.