Loaches Online Forum

Hi all,
These showed up at my LFS the other day with some off the wall common name as usual, banded mountain loach I think. I've been through the species list and can't match it. Bad pic but he's being very elusive. Anyone know? Thanks!

I think I may have answered my own question? Poking around and found some pics of s. notostigma that look like it, quite different than the pic in the species index. And they are indeed banded mountain loach.
Agree? Disagree??

Hi,

S. notostigma was also my first thought.

Thomas

Though it has a look of Notostigma i'd be a bit cautious ! not sure if any fish are coming in from Srilanka ?

Thanks Thomas and Piggy4. If not notostigma, any other ideas? It's doubtful I will get any background info as to where they came from.
There were a dozen or so in the shop tank. I observed them at feeding time and they were quite civil with each other, aggressive feeding but not overly so decided to try one.This one's in the Q-tank with a few gastromyzon and an s. savona and seems to get along fine so far.

Seems to me, that Schistura notostigma (a throughout variable ), and endemic species of Sri Lanka, is the nearest.

It is to say, that a serious and scientifically correct determination almost impossible can be done by aquarium pictures.

So: Schistura cf. notostigma.

Good luck in care. I breed them some years ago.

An article in loaches online will come soon.

Gerhard "Schmerlenotto" from Germany

Here for comparison three views Schistura notostigma


Schistura notostigma from an aquarium importer


Schistura notostigma from Singharaja Forest, Sri Lanka (self catched)


Schistura notostigma of breed stock (in front) and variety without bands
(Ignore the part of the boy of a Pangio)

Gerhard

Thanks Gerhard! i look forward to your article!!

Hi Gerhard,

your guys on the last pics looks similar to two loaches that I have for two years or so (both don't live any more) I've found them in a shop in cologne.
Maybe also cf. notostigma



Bye,

Thomas

Great pics! The first one looks most like mine.
Is there a particular lens that you like for this sort of photography? I'm going to have to invest in a new lens and flash.

Schmerlenotto wrote: Good luck in care. I breed them some years ago.

An article in loaches online will come soon.

Looking forward to this!

Emma

Hello plaalye,

these photographs are taken with a reflex camera: Konica Minolta Dynax D7. For fish photographs normally I use my 90 mm macro by Tamron or a 50 mm macro by minolta. Since four years I use this equipment. Then I changed from photographing on slide material to digital picures.

At least in Germany (I don't know the situation in other countries) the brand KonicaMinolta no longer exists; it's followed by the reflex camera system of Sony. So far as I know in agloamerican area the brand name of the camera was Maxxum.

Any other camera fitted with equiment for macro photography can be used too. I make no advertisment for an special brand.

Gerhard