All fish / Gastromyzontidae

Gastromyzon ornaticauda

Gastromyzon ornaticauda

Also known as borneo sucker, borneo hillstream loach, ornate tail gastromyzon, hillstream loach, butterfly loach, stone sucker, ガストロミゾン・オルナティカウダ, ikan batu, 婆罗洲异型吸盘鱼

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A small, flattened hillstream loach with a sucker-like body, brown mottled markings and an orange or red-edged tail fin. It spends its time clinging to smooth rocks and grazing biofilm, so it suits keepers who want a fast-flowing river tank with plenty of character.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

20 to 24 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: grazes biofilm and algae, plus sinking 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: Kapuas river basin, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Breeding

Spawning has been reported only now and then in well-established, strongly flowing tanks, and the eggs are thought to be scattered among the rocks. Raising fry is rarely achieved, so most fish on sale are still wild-caught.

Good to know

It needs cool, well-oxygenated, fast-moving water and mature rockwork covered in biofilm, and will not cope with warm, still tanks. Males squabble over grazing territories, and the fish is often sold under the wrong name alongside similar Gastromyzon and Beaufortia species.