Lizard Loach

About

Found in fast-flowing streams of Malaysia and Indonesia, the lizard loach (Neohomaloptera johorensis) is a genuinely unusual little fish that most hobbyists have never encountered. And that's largely because it rarely if ever makes it into the commercial trade, turning up only in the tanks of dedicated private collectors. The name lizard loach fits perfectly: the body and head are flattened, the paired fins spread out horizontally like limbs, and the whole underside acts as a suction cup that locks the fish onto rocks against strong current. Open-water swimming is almost beyond them; instead they crawl and hop across surfaces in a way that looks nothing like a typical fish. The coloration is another identifier. A warm orange to reddish-brown that makes this species hard to confuse with any other balitorid, especially given how small adults remain. As a schooling fish, a group of four or more is the way to go. Tankmates need careful thought not because this species is aggressive, it appears entirely peaceful, but because its extreme small size and soft, acidic water requirements narrow the options considerably. Boraras, Trigonostigma, Sundadanio, and small Pangio or similar loaches from the same regional habitat make sensible companions. Breeding has not been documented in aquaria.