All fish / Botiidae

Elongated Loach

Leptobotia elongata

Also known as elongate loach, elongated botia, giant chinese loach, chinese sucker loach, leptobotia elongatus, botia elongata, レプトボティア・エロンガータ, 长薄鳅, 薄鳅

This is the largest botiid loach. It has a long, slim body with a pointed snout, and its golden to olive base colour is crossed by dark irregular saddles and bars. Keepers of large river tanks seek it out because it is rare, active and impressive, and it is one of the few loaches suited to cooler water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

15 to 24 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: sinking pellets, bloodworm, shrimp, mussel, earthworms and small fish

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

China: upper and middle Yangtze River basin

Breeding

In the wild it is a migratory river spawner that scatters drifting eggs in fast currents during floods. It has not been bred in home aquariums, although Chinese hatcheries have produced it using hormone injections.

Good to know

Adults can pass 30 cm and will eat small tankmates, so a very large tank with strong flow and high oxygen is needed. Wild populations are threatened by Yangtze dams, and the species is protected under Chinese law, so check where your fish came from.