Salween Loach

About

A small, mottled loach from the Salween River drainage of Thailand and Myanmar, Acanthocobitis zonalternans is a bottom-dweller with a marbled pattern that blends it almost invisibly against the pebble beds of shallow, fast-moving riffles. In the wild it favors gently flowing streams and brooks, avoiding steep mountain torrents, and can also be found over muddy or sandy bottoms scattered with stones. That camouflage serves it well from above, which is part of what makes it such a rewarding fish to watch up close in a well-decorated aquarium. Despite being listed as aggressive and territorial, this species is actually among the more easygoing members of its group. The key is keeping it in large enough numbers. A group of ten or more allows individuals to form a natural social hierarchy, spreading out any squabbling between males so it stays manageable rather than harmful. Tankmates such as peaceful schooling cyprinids, rheophilic hillstream loaches, and stream gobies all work well. It is an omnivore that accepts a fairly broad range of foods, and has been bred successfully by hobbyists using egg-protection setups to prevent adults from eating the spawn. Up to 300 eggs can result from a single spawning event. This is an intermediate-level species best suited to keepers already familiar with stream fish and their habitat requirements.