All fish / Gastromyzontidae

Gastromyzon monticola

Gastromyzon monticola

Also known as borneo sucker, hillstream loach, borneo hillstream loach, gastromyzon, mountain hillstream loach, butterfly loach, flat loach, sucker loach, ガストロミゾン・モンティコラ, 婆罗洲吸盘鱼, 平鳍鳅

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A small, flattened hillstream loach with a sucker-like body, brown to olive with pale yellowish spots and a light margin on the fins. It clings to rocks in fast, cool water and is kept for its unusual shape and for grazing films of algae in stream-style tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5.5 cm

Temperature

20 to 24 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Group of 4 or more

Diet

Omnivore: grazes biofilm and algae; offer algae wafers, blanched vegetables and small frozen foods such as bloodworm

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Borneo: Sabah, Malaysia (Kinabalu area streams)

Breeding

Rarely bred in home aquariums. Spawning is thought to occur among gravel in mature, well-oxygenated stream setups, with few documented successes.

Good to know

Needs strong flow, high oxygen and cool water, so it suits river-style tanks rather than warm community setups. Hillstream loaches are often sold under mixed or wrong names, so similar Gastromyzon and Beaufortia species may be supplied instead.