Loaches Online Forum

These guys are now 2.5" SL and still growing like weeds. I managed to get these pics of two of them.





Although they have lost most of the orange from their fins, they have really interesting markings.

Martin.

Cool looking fish!
What is your take on them now that you have had them awhile? Do you think they are hybrids or just the result of selective breeding, or something else?
To me they just don't look quite like any histis I have seen before.

Looking good!

Martin , to be honest , im pretty much against Hybrids ! as are most , including yourself i suspect , my take on it is this , once we have mapped out all the loaches ,and are familiar with them , and even a little bored [ i suspect this day will never arrive] then we could start creating new ones , there is one thing though , i have to say , your fish conditioning skills are par excellent, always enjoy your excellent pics ! keep up the good work.

These are so unlike any B. histrionica I've seen before. The proportions are so weird. Well done on getting them into such great condition though!

In your opinion, are they bahaving the same as you would expect from 'real' B. histrionica?

Emma

Yes, to answer the questions. I've never kept histrionica, but they're behaviour is fairly much on par with Yoyos and kubotai. They're very bold though. My other loaches have always been scaredy cats, but these guys will eat frozen food from my fingers...and they test my fingers too!....they even have some of the Clowns following suit as well.

Yes, Emma....the markings and build are weird. They still have the small eye proportion and the body is pretty deep. Most hists I've seen have relatively mirrored markings, but these guys have somewhat assymetrical ones.

Martin.

Nice photo's. My guess is Botia histrionica crossed with Chromobotia macracanthus. I am antagonistic of hybrids, especially when they may not even to be of the same genus! But everyone of course has their own views on them.

Nice looking weirdos!