Loaches Online Forum

Last week, I received a batch of Schistura susannae. I wasn't sure what to expect as the only pic I found on the web was from Johnny Jensen, showing a loach that resembled S. mahnerti, yet The Freshwater Fishes of Central Vietnam book shows a different looking loach (albeit a preserved specimen). Does anyone have a formal description of S. susannae? (TDO?)

Here are some pics from the stock tank, apologies for any algae or water marks. I will try and find time to put some of these into one of my photo tanks over the weekend for better shots:





















This is the image and info from The Fishes of Central Vietnam book.



Although preserved, it looks closer to my fish than Johnny Jensen's photograph (http://www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/aqua ... sannae.htm). What confuses me though, is that the book says the caudal fin is red in life. Mine have yellow tails.

Emma

I don't know anything about these guys but they are really adorable.

Great pics by the way. Better then anything I have been able to get.

Gorgeous looking Loaches! Beautiful head-shape.

TDO should be able to clarify.

They look identical to 3 that I already have, I got them from my local Maidenhead in Stokesley. They just bought them in as Schistura species, if they are the same fish they are very placid for Schistura and the 3 I have dont bother the 3 S. mahnerti that are in with them

Mark, would they have any left or did you purchase them a long time ago?

Last time I was in they had none left but they were hoping to get more in, I will let you know if and when any turn up.

I got mine about 4 months ago when they had around a dozen in.

Graeme Robson wrote:Beautiful head-shape.

The head shape is what caught my eye

If you can Mark.

Cheers mate.

Hi All

I haveny got the description. Although I could get it I think that the info in the Vietnam book will be sufficent anyway. In terms of the red tail some loaches (some Physoschistura, Lepidocephalichthys, Schistura) only show certain colours in the wild, red tails being the most common example.

I have seen these fish for sale some time ago at BAS. I'm not yet convinced they are S. susannae notwithstanding the comments about tail colour. Also, in your specimens the insertion of the dorsal fin fused rays seems to be just anterior to the insertion of the fused rays of the ventral fins, whereas in susannae the dorsal is inserted slightly posteriorly to the insertion of the ventral fins.

Emma, can you email me a higher res image of the penultimate and last images? I can then try and count the lateral line pores. I seem to think these had been IDd as something else but can't remember off the top of my head what.

I can do better than that, I will take better pics of these in my photo tank this weekend and email you the high res images then.

Many thanks!

Emma

TDO, as promised, more pics of these loaches. They went rather pale in the photo tank, but hopefully they will be good enough for you to do your counts. Let me know which ones you'd like me to email to you at high res.





















Emma

Emma Turner wrote:They went rather pale in the photo tank,

You have a special photo tank? What is it and how is it set up?

raecarrow wrote:You have a special photo tank? What is it and how is it set up?

Hi Rae,

Yes, I have several different sized photo tanks for close up photography. The company who make a lot of our custom order tanks (and the system tanks at the shop) made them for me. They are quite narrow, so that it is easier to get the fish in sharp focus. I usually place the photo tank on top of one of the systems, then pour in water from that particular system, then add the fish. They are not in there very long, just a matter of minutes, so I don't use any equipment other than moving one of the Powerglo light bulbs from the system over the photo tank. You get much better natural looking shots when the fish are settled in the home aquarium, but the photo tanks are useful when we are trying to obtain an identification as even if the fish greys out, we can count things like dorsal fin rays or lateral line pores etc.

Emma

Neato, interesting and effective method.

Hi Emma

Unfortunately I still cant zoom in close enough to count all the pores. From the images it looks like the lateral line is complete, but then when you look further they may not be pores all way along and I can't count them.
Sorry!