All fish / Cyprinidae

Cauvery Garra

Garra mcclellandi

Also known as mcclelland's garra, cauvery stone sucker, garra mcclellandii, stone sucker

This is a slim, brownish grey stream fish with a flattened belly and a sucker-like disc under the mouth that it uses to cling to rocks and graze. It comes from fast, clear hill streams in southern India and is kept mainly by enthusiasts of river-style tanks and Indian native fishes, where it does a useful job of grazing algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more, or a single specimen

Diet

Omnivore: algae and biofilm, sinking pellets and algae wafers, blanched vegetables, and frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India: Western Ghats, mainly the Cauvery and nearby river basins in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu

Breeding

It scatters eggs over gravel and rocks in flowing water, with no parental care. Captive breeding in home aquariums is rarely reported, so most fish in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

Adults grow fairly large and can squabble with each other or other bottom dwellers over grazing spots, so give it a long tank with strong flow, high oxygen and plenty of rocks. It is easily confused with other brown Garra species, so check identification when buying.