New tradename? -- Striped Skunk Botia???

[Emma Turner]

I may have been a bit hasty with my reply, it's just that when we first received our Laos Tigers, not all displayed black markings on the dorsal or caudal and when tiny loaches like these pig out on food, they tend to look distended. I wasn't aware that juvenile Y. lecontei showed stripes from the nose to the eye and from the nose to the top of the head?

Emma

[piggy4]

Well i suppose if these are Czech fish then its quite possible they are both ? what a horrible thought !

[Graeme Robson]

I think the dorsal ray count would be more in keeping with Leconte ?

Hmmm... The dorsal fin does seem smaller with perhaps less counts than the Laos Tigers.

[mikev]

My 2c:

I greatly doubt Czech origins: firstly, I've not yet heard about Czech fish showing up in the US (Europe & Ca -- sure). Any new Czech fish will show up in Europe first.

I also doubt it being overfed: it takes 2 months of really good conditions to fatten a loach; he simply got them from his distributor.

He responded to the messages I sent right away, so maybe if someone else talks to him and asks the right question, something will transpire. [I feel embarrassed to bother him further since I'm not buying]

[Emma Turner]

I also doubt it being overfed: it takes 2 months of really good conditions to fatten a loach

This is not true when dealing with 1" long botiid loaches. Like small puffer fish, as a comparison, if they gorge themselves on food, they show lumps and bumps and look very very full - instantly.

Emma

[Graeme Robson]

I greatly doubt Czech origins: firstly, I've not yet heard about Czech fish showing up in the US (Europe & Ca -- sure). Any new Czech fish will show up in Europe first.

And you have not heard of this? What are you........... a member of the Aquatic federal agency?

Good lord!

[mikev]

It looks to me like this chap has huge girth, not so much a full stomach....I may be wrong, it is hard to judge from one photo. [On an aside: I'm not getting this effect even on those new 0.5" botias despite pretty good diet...bloated bellies -- sure, girth growth -- nope]

No Graeme, I merely pay attention.

One final thought: I'd have gotten them out of sheer curiosity, but I don't have a Grrr tank. Perhaps someone on LOL (in the US) has and should be alerted.

[Graeme Robson]

I sincerely doubt you and your assumptions.

Fact

[mikev]

I sincerely doubt you and your assumptions.

Fact

This is fine; with speculations on insufficient data, doubting is the way to go.

I do doubt that it is prudent to attribute every unusual loach to Czech Magic.