All fish / Botiidae

Skunk Loach

Yasuhikotakia morleti

Also known as skunk botia, hora's loach, horae loach, botia morleti, botia horae, mouse loach, cream loach, ปลาหมูขาว, ボティア・モルレッティ, 白鳍鼠鱼, 臭鼬鳅

A small, pale cream to greyish loach with a single dark stripe running along the back from snout to tail base, which gives it the skunk name. It is kept for its active, characterful behaviour and its habit of eating pest snails.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: sinking pellets, bloodworm, brine shrimp, snails and vegetable matter

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, northern India to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia

Breeding

Not bred in home aquariums; trade fish are wild caught or produced on farms using hormones.

Good to know

Can be territorial and quarrelsome, especially in small groups, and may nip slow or long-finned tankmates. Needs soft sand and plenty of caves, and like other loaches it is sensitive to medications and poor water quality.