All fish / Gastromyzontidae

Gold Ring Butterfly Sucker

Sewellia pterolineata

Also known as gold ring butterfly loach, golden ring hillstream loach, butterfly hillstream loach, sewellia pterolineata, hillstream loach, gold ring sewellia, セウェリア・プテロリネアタ, 金环蝴蝶鱼, 蝴蝶平鳍鳅

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A small, flattened hillstream loach with a sucker-like body, brown to black with bright golden spots and yellow ringed fin edges. It clings to rocks and glass in fast water, and is kept for its unusual look and habit of grazing algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

18 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, plus sinking pellets, algae wafers and frozen bloodworm or daphnia

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Vietnam (central coastal river drainages)

Breeding

It breeds fairly often in mature, well-oxygenated tanks with smooth rocks and plenty of biofilm, scattering eggs among gravel. Fry are tiny and grow slowly but often survive in established setups without special care.

Good to know

Needs cool, very clean, strongly oxygenated water with good flow and does poorly in warm tropical community tanks. Similar Sewellia species, such as S. lineolata, are often mixed up in the trade.