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Loaches
/ Botiinae / Zebra Loach
Zebra Loach
Botia striata | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description: A stocky, fish with an arched back and a flat belly profile.
The caudal fin is deeply cleft and the
caudal penuncle is thick.
The body is brown with numerous vertical yellow stripes which alternate in thickness.
The
fins are marked with brown bands.
Size/Length: To 2.7" (8 cm) in aquaria, although up to 4" (10 cm) in nature
Similar species: None
Habitat: Inhabits still and slow moving waters in southern India
S: bottom
Aquarium: A 24" (61 cm), 10-20 gallon (38-76 L) tank is sufficient for this small species.
Follow
suggestions for B. morleti
.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.8), 3-15 dH (7), 73-81°F (23-27°C)
Social behavior: An active, but peaceful species that prefers to be kept in small groups of five to
eight fish.
A nocturnal species that become diurnal after acclimation.
Suggested companions: As for B.
sidthimunki.
FOOD: Live; worms, insect larvae, crustaceans; tablets; plant matter
SEX: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Unknown
Breeding potential: No recorded spawnings in an aquarium.
Remarks: This species can make audible clicking sounds.
Difficulty of care: 4.
A hardy and peaceful species whose diet should be supplemented with live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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