Golden Kuhli Loach

About

Found in lowland wetlands, peat swamps, and leaf-littered forest streams across Malaysia and Indonesia, Pangio doriae is one of several very elongate, vermiform loaches traded loosely under the name 'eel loach'. Its slender, largely unpatterned greyish body and worm-like proportions set it apart from the more familiar banded kuhli loaches, and a useful field mark is the pair of prominent nasal barbels that distinguishes it from the closely related P. anguillaris. Despite the 'aggressive' and 'territorial' flags that sometimes appear on care sheets, the genus as a whole is regarded as peaceful toward most tankmates, with the main caveat being that they may snack on eggs or small fry. Like other Pangio species, these loaches are highly social and will cram themselves together into a single cave or crevice when resting, so keeping a group of at least five or six makes for much more visible, active fish. Companions from similarly soft, acidic Southeast Asian habitats work best. Think small rasboras, chocolate gouramis, or pygmy fighting fish. One notable handling note applies to all cobitid loaches: they carry sharp sub-ocular spines that can tangle badly in nets, so a soft container is a safer choice when moving them. Captive breeding has not been documented.