Identity of a fawn-colored Loach

[inlitenme]

We've got a cute little character loach (as they all are). I'm not certain which species he is. We have a young clown loach and the two have not really paid any attention to each other.

Description:
Fawn-colored body
body shape deep (has that stealth fighter shape)
black stripe around his caudal peduncle
black stripe along dorsal ridge from peduncle band forward and running up the anterior rays of dorsal fin
no middle black stripe between the dorsal fin and the head band
wide band of black around his head across his eyes and slightly anterior to operculum

His name is Phage ... and he is having an identity crisis. Help me find his roots?

Thanks

[Jim Powers]

I suggest you go over to the Pictorial species search section of the species index. That should help you narrow down what species you have.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index

[NancyD]

Sounds like maybe a skunk loach, y. morleti.

[inlitenme]

I suggest you go over to the Pictorial species search section of the species index. That should help you narrow down what species you have.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index

Thanks Jim - I've been through every field guide, species index, and dichotomous keys that I can find. The closest match thus far is the skunk ... but that's not quite him. The black dorsal line runs up the dorsal fin and does not continue toward the head. In addition, I've not seen a skunk loach with the head-band and raccoon mask this guy wears.

I'll try to figure out how to upload a picture of Phage.

Thanks for the reply

[inlitenme]

Sounds like maybe a skunk loach, y. morleti.

Thank you Nancy - You came very close to identifying him (that is as far as I've been able to get as well). He is closest to the skunk ... but does not have the dorsal stripe from the dorsal fin forward (as the skunk does). He has a head-band and bandit mask around his eyes, which the skunk does not have.

I'll see if I can upload a picture or two of this guy.

[mophir01]

That sounds intriguing. It could be a morphological variant of Y. morleti, or it could be something completely different...photographs would help immensely. I have never heard of a Botiid species that looks like a Y. morleti with a dark mask on its face...perhaps either a geographical variant of Y. morleti or Y. longidorsalis?

Keep us posted!