loach ID. Mesonoemacheilus guentheri?

[cloudhands]

We were passing through Massachusetts yesterday and stopped by Uncle Ned's Fish Factory. We picked up a few things, including a fish that was labeled as a Zodiac Loach. To me it didn't look like one, but it was cool. This one also looked gravid (there were two in the tank). "Cool! A pregnant zodiac loach!"

When we got home I was sure it wasn't a zodiac, Mesonemacheilus triangularis. We have two of those in our 120.

It doesn't look like anything I can find.

Here are two photos taken from above, in a white bowl. The Q tank it's in is a bit murky and unlit, and the fish is hiding, so I netted it to photograph. The fish is a bit greyed out here. When it's relaxed the lateral band containing the spots is rather dark, and the spots lighter, whith the stripes across the top are more distinct.

http://www.lehet.com/bitbucket/IMG_0931.jpg

http://www.lehet.com/bitbucket/IMG_0933.jpg

The closest in the LOL species list I guess is Mesonoemacheilus guentheri, but that's not quite it.

[plaalye]

Looks like m. guentheri. The spot patterns vary quite a bit.

[piggy4]

Hi Cloudhands , there are a few Loaches in the Mesonemacheilus group that are quite similar to Guentheri ,M. herrei, M.menoni and M.pulchellus ,it might help a bit if you could do a side pic ?

At a glance yours looks a bit like M.menoni ?

[cloudhands]

It's hard to find many photos of those loaches besides the guentheri.

It's also hard to photograph this new loach in the Q tank from the side, because I put some wood in there for the L204 that we bought at the same time. The water has turned rather brown from it.

Also we have a powerhead and a rather oversize filter on there (for the 3 small sewelia lineolata, locally bred), so the tank is full of bubbles.

It's not completely shy though, so I don't think I'll have trouble in the future.

[NancyD]

I saw those loaches at Ned's & I thought guentheri too but like you I don't know those other mesonemacheilus. Good lookers whatever they are.