All fish / Gastromyzontidae

Borneo Sucker Loach

Gastromyzon scitulus

Also known as borneo sucker, hillstream loach, borneo hillstream loach, gastromyzon scitulus, beautiful hillstream loach, stingray loach, butterfly loach, ガストロミゾン・スキトゥルス, 琵琶鱼

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A small, flattened torrent loach with a sucker-like body. It has a brown back covered in pale yellowish spots, and some fish show blue in the dorsal fin. Keepers like it for its unusual shape and its habit of grazing rocks and glass in fast-flowing, well-oxygenated hill stream tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

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, 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

Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (Lundu district and nearby hill streams)

Breeding

It has seldom bred in home aquariums, and little is known about how it spawns. Most fish sold are caught in the wild.

Good to know

It needs cool, clean, fast-moving water rich in oxygen with plenty of mature rock surfaces to graze, so it does not suit warm community tanks. It is easily confused with other Gastromyzon species such as G. ctenocephalus, and fish are often sold under the wrong name.