Nemacheilus platiceps

[mikev]

I wonder if anyone here keeps/kept this or a similar species.

I saw them for the first time yesterday, and watched them for a while at the store today, trying to understand where do they fit.

My first impression is that this is an unusually active fish --- today, they were chasing each other at high speed in the store tank, but it is not clear if this is their normal state or just "acclimation" behavior. Other unclear moments are:
* would they present a danger to other species (they are larger and obviously much more powerful than a typical hillstreams) or just play with each other -- even after watching them for a while I cannot figure out if these are very nice playful characters or a public menace.
* given that these are "brookstreams", would not be a proper environment for them to be with smaller botias (for example, kubotais) rather than with hillstreams in a river tank? (I have schisturas for almost a year now with clowns and kubotais; these platiceps guys may be similar in terms of the requirements,...and I think they actually come from nearly the same area as B.Kubotai. (I think this is the only way I can possibly have them...mixing them with hillstreams does seem dangerous)
* what is the minimum # of them to keep? (I try for a minimum of 6 with smaller species, but the store has only four and it is not certain I can find more).

Exactly the same question about Noemacheilus scaturigina -- I suspect these are pretty similar but probably smaller (and prettier). Have not seen them in person yet.

Any info would be appreciated.

[Jim Powers]

I can't answer you questions about N. platiceps, but I can about N. scaturgina, which is actually S. scaturgina. They are a large schistura that can get as large as your index finger (3-4"). Mine seemed to get along well with hillstreams only occasionally chasing them. I had two in a 29 and each had its own personal hideout. They would occasionally mingle and even do a "dance" together or chase each other. Otherwise they were fairly mellow for schisturas....except, of course, when the bloodworms came out.

[mikev]

Thanks, Jim,

The platiceps I saw were about 2.5"-3". Yesterday, they were depressed by shipping (very pale and barely moving); today they were in normal colors and incredibly fast (high speed circular chases around an empty 20g tank, faster running han any botia in my tank is capable of). Very impressive performance, even if their pattern is not all that attractive. Barbels surely are.

Trying to figure out what to do here. I don't think the store can actually sell them,...they still have three last unsold schisturas somehow surviving since last September.

Did you ever mix your scaturgina with Botias? (Ultimately mixing with Kubotais is probably the best thing I can do....I'm just unsure if these things would not kill Kubotais...)

[Jim Powers]

My scaturgina spent their whole lives in a river tank with hillstreams, but I doubt it if they would hurt any botias.

[mikev]

Thanks. Do you think the (pretty awful -- not mine) picture below shows a scaturgina indeed?

[Jim Powers]

No, this is scaturgina.
http://www.bobd.lunarpages.com/loaches/jim056.html

[mikev]

Not sure how to parse this, so I asked the vendor for a better picture.

Meanwhile, I probably need some therapy myself. I'm beginning to like these platiceps characters:



Yeah, I know, they are really not the prettiest fish, but after watching them again today,...darn. There is something about them too...

One died... if the remaining three last to the end of the week, I told the store I'm getting them.... At least these are not real hillstreams, so hopefully no nasty diseases...and I'll give them the full round.

[Jim Powers]

I always thought they were cool fish. Very active and attractive (in my opinion) too.
Good luck!

[mikev]

I always thought they were cool fish. Very active and attractive (in my opinion) too.
Good luck!

Very cool fish without doubt. Unfortunately, this is not to be: two more died at the store and the last one does not look too good either. Not a disease, most likely, they were shipped in a very small bag and probably were doomed from the start. Darn.

----------------

On the other front, I got better pictures of the alleged scaturgina.
It looks like beavani to me....could you please comment? Thanks.

[Emma Turner]

Here's our S. beavani's for comparison:







I also have some Longischistura striata in at the moment, which came from a reputable source. To me, they look the same, but are apparently collected from a different locale. I'll have a look and see if I have any pictures of them.

Emma

[Jim Powers]

Beavani are nice little fish. They are much smaller than scaturigina, and are generally well behaved.
I have two in a ten gallon mini-river tank with a couple of equally small S. savonas and a few small danio nigrofasciatus.

[mikev]

Thanks, Emma!

Looks like the same fish to me; the only difference is that yours look much fatter/healthier. The head shape is identical and seems different from Jim's scaturgina. Let me check the source for their size, if they are under 2", it should clinch the ID.

PS. Thanks Jim... While neither of you said this clearly, I gather that you are certain it is a beavani. Fine.