All fish / Cyprinidae

Garra nigricollis

Garra nigricollis

Also known as black-neck garra, black collar garra, blackneck stone sucker

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A small, slim stone-sucker from Indian hill streams, with a sucker-like mouth disc and a dark band behind the head that gives it its name. Hobbyists keep it for its busy grazing behaviour and as an unusual alternative to more common algae-eating cyprinids in stream-type tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: biofilm and algae, sinking pellets and wafers, blanched vegetables, bloodworm and other small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Western Ghats, India (Kerala and Karnataka hill streams)

Breeding

It scatters eggs over gravel and stones in flowing water, with no parental care. Captive breeding is rarely reported and is not well documented.

Good to know

Needs well-oxygenated, clean, flowing water and smooth rocks to graze on; individuals can squabble over territory, so give plenty of cover. Care figures are inferred from related Garra species because specific data are limited.