Loaches in Practical Fishkeeping

[Doc]

Just read the new PFK issue ( Oct 08 ) and have to say superb article by Emma. Informative and interesting as usual.
So Thank you Emma.

[Emma Turner]

Thanks Doc!
Unfortunately though (and I have to be diplomatic here) I was very disappointed that a good number of photographs I submitted to accompany the species guides were omitted. This includes one of Helen's jumbo Yoyos. Maybe I will post all the pictures here later....
Emma

[Doc]

I'll scan the article and try and post it later on if I get the chance. Got a few fishy things to do first as well as celebrate the Challenge Cup win.

[Emma Turner]

Some of you might have seen a few of these shots before, but there are several which I've never shown before. The ones labelled with a white coloured name are the ones that were shown in the mag, and the ones labelled in green are the ones they missed out. Hope you enjoy!

Aborichthys elongatus:


Acanthocobitis botia:


Acantopsis choirorhynchos:


Beaufortia kweichowensis:


Botia almorhae:


Gastromyzon ctenocephalus:


Homaloptera confuzona:


Lepidocephalichthys hasselti:


Mesonoemacheilus guentheri:


Misgurnus anguillicaudatus:


Pangio alternans:


Schistura balteata:


Sewellia lineolata:


Sinibotia pulchra:


Syncrossus berdmorei:


Vaillantella maassi:


Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki:


And finally a group shot of Y. sidthimunki which I submitted as the title pic, but was not used :

[Botia Robert]

Thats a fantastic selection of pictures Emma.

It really shows the diversity of Loaches.

I think this is what the magazine needed. They need to be able to tell the story that there is more to loaches than the clowns you see in the LFS.

Good work on your articles Emma. The more "loach education" done for the mainstream the better.

[Jim Powers]

Those are great, Emma!!
I'll have to look for this issue.

[greenbaron]

Those are beautiful pictures. I really like the Syncrossus berdmorei. Wow.
I checked the PFK site, over $109 for a subscription to US
Hope you keep sharing your pictures here, because I sure don't think I'll see them in print anytime soon!

[Bully]

It was a great article Emma

Looking at the pictures they left out, it was a shame that they did. One of the irritating things for me with any magazine is that they talk about something without illustrating it. If you're new to a hobby it can be very frustrating.

[Eyrie]

Wonderful group shot of the sids, and stunning colours on the Pangio alternans

[mickthefish]

Bully, it ain't that mate, they're more intrested in adverts than they are the articles,
i know they need them to survive but why not have them at the back of the mag instead of every other page.

mick
ps, plus they have to give money for pic.

[Emma Turner]

Thanks for the great comments, the diversity is what I wanted to show. Bully, you hit the nail on the head, I worry that new fishkeepers won't have heard of Lepidocephalichthys or Homaloptera for example, so the text then won't mean a lot to them. I was particularly gutted they missed out the Lepidocephalichthys pic as this genus could be considered a community type loach far more than some of the more common species we see.

Emma

[Mike Ophir]

Great photos, as always Emma!

Mike

[Bully]

Bully, it ain't that mate, they're more intrested in adverts than they are the articles,
i know they need them to survive but why not have them at the back of the mag instead of every other page.

mick
ps, plus they have to give money for pic.

Advertising, the necessary evil

It could be worse, I once read GQ and counted 7 whole pages (14 sides) between the contents page and the first article!!

I worry that new fishkeepers won't have heard of Lepidocephalichthys or Homaloptera for example, so the text then won't mean a lot to them. I was particularly gutted they missed out the Lepidocephalichthys pic as this genus could be considered a community type loach far more than some of the more common species we see.

Emma

Not only new fishkeepers, my LFS has "Lizard Fish - Algae Eater" in stock, with no idea of what they actually are. I'm not good at identifying fish (I don't have the memory for it) but I mentioned that they were likely a Homaloptera species or similar, but was told they weren't. I had a look in a copy of Ornamental Aquarium Fish of India they had in the store, and it closely resembles the Travancoria elongata (Angel Sucker Loach) that's on page 89, although they are only about 4 cm's. I'm hoping to get back down there tomorrow and take a photo or two so that I can get a proper ID from the species index

Anyway, yes having all the images would help those magazine readers that don't use the internet. I've asked most of the members of staff at my LFS and so far most of them rarely ever use the internet.