All fish / Cyprinidae

Kashmir latia

Tariqilabeo diplochilus

Also known as kashmir latia, crossocheilus diplochilus, tariqilabeo, kashmir algae eater, indus sucker barb, labeo diplochilus, garra diplochilus

A slim, silvery brown cyprinid with a downturned sucker-like mouth and thick lips, built for scraping algae off stones in fast, cool hill streams. It is mostly a local food fish, but specialist keepers sometimes take it as an active grazer for cool, well-oxygenated river-style tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

10 to 22 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: grazes biofilm and algae, plus sinking pellets, algae wafers, blanched vegetables and frozen bloodworm

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Indus basin: Pakistan, northern India (Kashmir), Afghanistan

Breeding

It scatters eggs over gravel in flowing water during the warmer months. There are no reliable reports of it being bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

This fish needs cool, fast-flowing, oxygen-rich water and does poorly in warm tropical community tanks. Older books and sellers may still list it under Crossocheilus, but the current valid name is Tariqilabeo diplochilus.