Burmese Loach

About

Found across a broad sweep of South and Southeast Asia, the cobitid loach Lepidocephalichthys berdmorei lives in hill streams with moderate current and stony or pebbly beds, as well as clearer lakes and sandy-bottomed waterways. It ranges from India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar through peninsular Thailand, turning up in drainages including the Salween, Mekong, Chao Phraya, and Meklong basins. Identification is fairly straightforward once you know what to look for: irregularly arranged blotches and spots along the flanks that never arrange into clean stripes, a mid-lateral row of slightly larger markings, a prominent dark spot at the base of the caudal fin, and a rounded or slightly squared-off tail. Males also develop a distinctive structure formed by fused, thickened pectoral fin rays, though you'll rarely notice it unless you're looking closely. Despite the "aggressive" tag it sometimes carries in databases, this species is genuinely peaceful with similarly-sized tankmates and actually does best when kept in groups of four or more. Good companions include small peaceful cyprinids, rheophilic loaches like Gastromyzon or Sewellia, and stream gobies. Avoid strongly territorial bottom-dwellers as tankmates. One practical note worth keeping in mind: like all cobitids, it carries concealed sub-ocular spines that can snag in nets and occasionally break skin, so handle carefully. It is one of the more forgiving loach species for newcomers.