Loaches Online Forum

Graeme Robson wrote:Hi Steve. After i posted my reply, i realized that i was just repeating your words with the patterns. Sorry fragile state is i at the moment.

No Probs Graeme!

And thanks Emma.

I agree with you Emma. These guys have not grown all that much in length but have filled out in body depth. The questionable loach has increased in length but not all that much which makes me believe that he won't be all that much bigger. I don't see too much of a color change either in the rosy loaches at this point. The mystery loach remains a silver greyish color. I do believe that my guys are a bit behind yours in age/size.

Based on their continous movement, I would assume that these guys really don't live all that long like some of the other loaches do. They do tend to school into groups of 5 or 6 fish to zoom back and forth across the front of the tank. Reminds me quite a bit of zebras. They are always working at the algae on the plants and rooting around the roots of the plants.

I was thinking that the current might be a tad much for them but yet they seem to enjoy racing back and forth thru it.

The.Dark.One wrote: Also, Emma, do we know if the rosy loaches are imported from the 'wild'? They look awfully small to be wild imports, are they tank bred? If so they could be hormone induced or crossed hybrids?

Well I've done a bit of digging and this was the response I got directly from the supplier:

"Thanks for your enquiries.....The Rosy Loach is from
Burma and are 100% wild caught....they are found high
up in the mountains in Arakan, western Burma."

Emma

Arakan is basically here:



Martin.

Great work, Emma.

These little chaps need slow down for a bit!! My eyes are hurting watching them. I've got 17 of the little chaps darting around all day long!

I told you they were active little creatures. Always on the go!

If they come from high mountainous regions, I would imagine that their temperature requirements may be a little lower than average?

Emma

I've had a feeling that temperatures may be preferred in the lower regions. Ever since i first seen these chaps, my thoughts where Brook conditions with the temp around 24/75. Dunno why.

Emma Turner wrote:

The.Dark.One wrote: Also, Emma, do we know if the rosy loaches are imported from the 'wild'? They look awfully small to be wild imports, are they tank bred? If so they could be hormone induced or crossed hybrids?

Well I've done a bit of digging and this was the response I got directly from the supplier:

"Thanks for your enquiries.....The Rosy Loach is from
Burma and are 100% wild caught....they are found high
up in the mountains in Arakan, western Burma."

Emma

Hi Emma

Thanks for this. Very interesting! Are the fish from Kamphol's company?
We shall have to see what they turn out like when adult. Has anyone thought of contacting Maurice Kottelat etc to see if they are aware of what they are?

Steve, could you please PM me with the name of Kamphol's company. I *think* I'm probably using the main supplier who has been supplying other exporters.

Cheers,

Emma

Steve, we at Loaches Online have nominated you to contact Maurice Kottelat.


Please!

Graeme Robson wrote:Steve, we at Loaches Online have nominated you to contact Maurice Kottelat.


Please!

OK, I will try Maurice. We have corresponded a few times in the past. Obviously he's very busy so we may not get a response. I'll give it a go.

The.Dark.One wrote: OK, I will try Maurice. We have corresponded a few times in the past. Obviously he's very busy so we may not get a response. I'll give it a go.

Best of luck!

I have successfully contacted Maurice Kottelat. I sent him various pictures of the fish (by Emma and others from other posts). I told him the 'Tuberoschistura arakanensis' name we had been given and the alleged locality, and that some of us thought they may be a Yunnanilis species, possibly similar to or the same as brevis.

He says he has not seen these fish before, and he agrees that "this looks like a Yunnanilis".

Very interesting! I wonder whether he will be interested in looking into this species a bit further?

Emma

Emma Turner wrote:Very interesting! I wonder whether he will be interested in looking into this species a bit further?

Emma

He didnt say so. He's probably up to his eyes with several projects and papers. I know from corresponding with him in the past that he has things he sees need resolving but obviously has to get round to doing it.