Loach Species ID?

[Wetterfisch]

I bought 3 loaches for my N Indian hillstream biotope at a LFS, after I search without success for zipper loaches everywhere else. They were sold as Acanthocobitis botia. I look at the internet and they are definitely not this species, and not really look like any other Acanthocobitis sp. either. I suspect, that they are a Schistura sp. There are several, which look similar. They are claimed to be from India (so the confusion with zipper loaches), but could be a mistake.

Prominent features: black spot at front base of dorsal fin and top base of caudal fin. Head backround colour is greyish, turn more yellowish toward rear. Reddish tint only at base of tail fin, but all other fins clear with some black spots/streaks. Shorter barbels. One specimen is duller and slightly larger (female or older individual)?

They are somewhat territorial, but not very aggressive. Mostly leave other fish alone. Sometimes create small depression under stones to hide in, but not bury. Rest on bottom mostly, but will swim up to feed.

First 2 are same fish, but one of the others almost identical.




This is the duller individual.

[Jim Powers]

It can be a bit difficult to determine the species in shisturas since there are so many similar species.
I have gone to the Species Index pictoral species search and come up with these possibilities.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/pi ... er-at-rear

[Wetterfisch]

Yes I saw that page. Mine look all 3 species and none - especially when you look at individual/regional variation. Despite the slight colour difference of one of mine, I think, that all 3 are the same species based on behavior and various small details like fin colouration/form. Mine have very indistinct markings on the head and noticeable backround colour change from grey to yellow toward tail. They appear to definitely belong the S. multifasciatus/mahnerti group.

Some possible candidates in my opinion:
- S. mahnerti - seem very likely, but still not 100% convinced
- S. poculi - stripes and base colour seem different?
- S. vinciguerrae - seem more spotted and intensely coloured
- S. scaturigina and S. mulitfasciata have thicker bands, but some photos of the species (maybe mislabeled) resemble

It is possible to be a still new species? It seem that new Schistura named very often. Here a couple unknown species, that have similarities.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sc ... -unknown02


http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/schistura-sp-6 (I think this one is a possibility, but sadly only photo of one specimen)

If more photos would help, let me know. They are very hard to photograph though and my rosy barbs try to seem in front of the lens (they are visible in 2 of the photos).

[Jim Powers]

As I said, it can be confusing and difficult to ID these fish. It could be an undescribed species too so that further complicates things.

[Wetterfisch]

Posted on another forum and one possible ID suggested (beside S. mahnerti) was the unidentified Schistura sp. 'Red Tail', imported from India to at least UK (no infos, if any came to USA or not), but seems nothing else known about them.

Here is the best photo, that I have taken of one of my loaches so far:

[Jim Powers]

That's a very nice specimen! It reminds me of the S. scaturgina that I once had except the stripes forward of the dorsal are different.