Breeding Sucking Loach (Gyrinocheilus Aymonieri) In The Aquarium

Location

This fish lives in the fast-flowing streams and creeks in east-south Asia.

Body description

Body of the fish is elongated. This species posses a sucker-mouth and extra vent. This vent is over the gill slit and it enables to breathe the fish when they feed (when fish is sucked to something). Colour of the body is gray-olive. There are a dark, horizontal stripes on the sides of the fish. Colour of the body changes with age. Older fish have yellowish colors. Female is larger and thicker than male.

Temperament and behaviour

These fish are aggressive towards each other or towards other species (they are more aggressive with age). They are territorial too. They are often sucked to body of a big, laterally compressed fish e.g. cichlids, angelfish or discus. The fish feed their skin secretions.

Aquarium decoration

This species likes a spacious tanks with strong light, a lot of hiding-places, clean and oxygen-rich water and effective filtration system. The aquarium should be covered – these fish like to escape from the tank. The young fish like to feed on algae but they are less interested in algae when they get older.

Breeding

Reproduce these fish is very difficult and this is done only in fish farms which specialise in it.