Sky Blue Borneo sucker
Gastromyzon aeroides
A rare Bornean hillstream loach with vivid blue fins found in almost no aquariums yet.
About
Found clinging to fast-moving stream beds in western Sabah and the Temburong basin of Brunei, Gastromyzon aeroides is a compact hillstream loach that has barely made it into the hobby at all. Only a handful of private collectors have kept it so far. What sets it apart from close relatives is its fin coloration: the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are blue in living fish, compared to the yellow-finned G. punctulatus and red-finned G. katibasensis. The body itself is plain brown with a fine cream reticulate pattern on the head, rather than the spotted patterning of its cousins. Like all Gastromyzon, it has a deeply flattened body and horizontally spread paired fins that merge into a powerful suction structure, letting it crawl across rocks in surging current rather than swim freely. Despite the "aggressive" flag, the territorial behavior is mostly about guarding prime feeding patches rather than outright fighting, and keeping a group of four or more seems to spread that tension around naturally. Tankmates should be other current-loving, similarly sized species. Small rheophilic cyprinids, stream gobies, and hillstream-adapted catfishes all fit the bill. Breeding has not been recorded in aquaria for this species specifically, though related Gastromyzon have proven possible to spawn under the right conditions.
Similar species
Other fish you might consider
Good tank mates
Species that tend to coexist peacefully with Sky Blue Borneo sucker
From the same region
Share the same natural habitat. Great for a biotope-themed tank
Frequently asked questions
- How big does the Sky Blue Borneo sucker get?
- The Sky Blue Borneo sucker reaches about 1–2" as an adult.
- What size tank does the Sky Blue Borneo sucker need?
- A minimum of 14 gallons is recommended for the Sky Blue Borneo sucker.
- What water parameters does the Sky Blue Borneo sucker need?
- The Sky Blue Borneo sucker does best with a temperature of 72–82°F, a pH of 6–7.5, hardness around 2–12 dGH.
- Is the Sky Blue Borneo sucker aggressive?
- The Sky Blue Borneo sucker is aggressive and is best kept alone or with robust tankmates that can hold their own.
- What does the Sky Blue Borneo sucker eat?
- The Sky Blue Borneo sucker is a herbivore. It needs a plant-based diet such as algae, blanched vegetables, or spirulina-based foods.