Eyespotted Borneo sucker

About

Found clinging to rocks in the fast-flowing streams of southern Sarawak, Malaysia, Gastromyzon ocellatus is a small hillstream loach with a lot going on. The body is dark brown above with seven or eight pale cream crossbars, the flanks carry a broken vertical pattern that gives the species its name, ocellatus referring to the eye-like spots, and the caudal fin flushes a distinctive reddish orange in life, a useful field mark when telling it apart from its close relative G. farragus. Like all Gastromyzon, its body is strongly flattened, the paired fins splay outward horizontally, and the pelvic fins fuse into a cup that grips smooth rock faces with surprising force. Swimming in open water is not really what these fish do. They crawl and clamber across submerged surfaces, grazing algae and biofilm as they go. They are peaceful toward other species but can be mildly territorial among themselves, usually squabbling over favored feeding spots rather than causing real harm. Keeping a group of four or more brings out their natural social behavior, and this is genuinely recommended. Tankmates should be small and non-aggressive. Stream-adapted cyprinids, gobies, and rheophilic catfishes are all reasonable choices. Breeding in captivity has not been documented for this species.