Loaches Online Forum

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 1:36 pm**

Here's another new addition i pick up last Friday from Emma's store. These little chaps seem very settled in their new home, so much that i've only be able to capture images of just one specimen. Here's a few pictures of the Lepidocephalichthys cf. thermalis aka Vietnamese Marbled Hog-face Loach.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 2:38 pm**

Stunning fish Graeme

, I wish I had the space for some of those myself.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 4:11 pm**

Superb!

I love the way the camera pics up that subtle blue sheen.

Emma

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 5:08 pm**

That is a very beautiful fish.

I like the light blue sheen, also.

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 7:12 pm**

whoa, blue... You don't see too many blue fish.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 4:02 am**

Cheers ya all!

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 9:25 am**

Superb pics!

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 1:38 pm**

Hi Graeme, just curious, why c/f Thermalis ? i thought coming from Vietnam , they might have been closer to Hasselti ?

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 1:59 pm**

Cheers Matt. Yeah, Andy. I'm sure they where listed as above from Emma's supplier. I've just brought a list up of the Freshwater fishes in Vietnam and the one and only species of Lepidocephalichthys is that of the Lepidocephalichthys hasselti. You know us Andy, we are always looking for the true answers.

Having said this, there could be a few un-identified species out there or fish that haven't been recored/reported.

I'm busy looking around to see if this loach may be a different species or just a variant from the L hasselti, L thermalis...etc.

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 8:51 am**

The plot thickens, i guess if they aren't Hasselti ,then they could be a new one , though they do have that darkish colouration of Hasselti , b t w , great pics Graeme, what have you put them in with ?

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 1:21 pm**

Cheers mate. I keep them in with some Pangio's and Lepidocephalichthys berdmorei and true Lepidocephalichthys thermalis so to speak.

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:31 am**

hi graeme
any nearer sorting what species they are bud,?
ive got 10 of the little buggers and they want to know what they are. haha

cheers
mick

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:01 pm**

wow!

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:32 pm**

I'm not 100% sure but i've been pondering on the Lepidocephalichthys birmanicus which are located in many different regions. They come from Myanmar to Malaysia, including the Mekong basin on the Khorat Plateau, and in Cambodia < which is next door to Vietnam.

This is how i see it. Both Lepidocephalichthys birmanicus and Lepidocephalichthys hasselti are from Cambodia and the Lepidocephalichthys hasselti is from Vietnam. With these being neighborers then either could be possible. I would like to think these are Lepidocephalichthys birmanicus which have overflowed into Vietnam, if indeed these did come from Vietnam.

Posted: **Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:30 pm**

methinks it's time for TDO to step in on this one, with his library he might be able to add something to our cause.

cheers
mick