Chocolate Scissor-tailed Loach

About

Found in the peat swamps and soft-water streams of Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, this slender loach goes by a handful of trade names including chocolate scissor-tailed loach, red line cobra loach, and dragon loach. Each hinting at something real about its appearance or attitude. The body is a bluish-brown, and a well-defined orange to yellow stripe runs continuously from the tip of the snout all the way to the base of the tail. What really sets the genus Vaillantella apart from other loaches is its unusually long dorsal fin, which contains far more branched rays than any other loach group. A feature obvious once you know to look for it. In the aquarium this fish is decidedly nocturnal and will spend most of the day tucked into a hiding spot, defending a small personal territory against any bottom-dweller that ventures too close. Mid- and upper-water fish like gouramis and small cyprinids make much safer companions than other benthic species. Despite being labeled beginner-friendly in terms of water care, the territorial streak and hefty price tag, a result of the species being genuinely hard to collect in the wild, mean you should go in with realistic expectations. Breeding has not been documented in captivity.