All fish / Gastromyzontidae

Gastromyzon cornusaccus

Gastromyzon cornusaccus

Also known as borneo sucker, borneo hillstream loach, butterfly loach, hillstream loach, gastromyzon sp., ガストロミゾン, 婆罗洲吸盘鱼

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A small, flattened Bornean hillstream loach with a sucker-like body that clings to rocks in fast water, usually brown with paler gold spots or marbling. Hobbyists keep it for its unusual shape and its habit of grazing algae and biofilm off stones and glass in well-oxygenated stream tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

20 to 24 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Group of 4 or more, with plenty of rocks to split up territories

Diet

Omnivore: grazes biofilm and algae; also sinking algae wafers, repashy-type gel foods and small frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Northern Borneo: Sabah, Malaysia (Kinabatangan and nearby drainages)

Breeding

It has seldom been bred in home aquariums, and most fish in the trade are wild-caught. Spawning seems to need mature, stable stream setups with strong flow and well-grazed rock surfaces.

Good to know

Needs cool, very clean, fast-flowing and oxygen-rich water and soon declines in warm or still tanks. Many Gastromyzon species look alike and are often sold under the wrong name, and males can squabble over grazing spots.