Jaguar Loach

About

Found in the swift, clear foothill streams of the Mekong basin, Yasuhikotakia splendida is an uncommonly seen loach that only began appearing in the trade around 2009 and has remained scarce and pricey ever since. It goes by a handful of informal names in the hobby. Jaguar loach, splendid loach, and yellow-tail polka dot loach among them. The fish is grey-bodied with a series of thin vertical bars along the lower flanks, bold dark spots on the caudal fin, a distinctive dark ring around the caudal peduncle bordered by pale rings, and, most noticeably, pale to bright yellow dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. Like its close relatives, this species is intensely social and really does need to be kept in groups of at least five or six, preferably more. Lone specimens or small groups can become withdrawn or aggressive, and a single dominant fish may harass companions to the point of starvation. In larger groups the social dynamics are genuinely interesting to watch. Fish will engage in greying-out displays during dominance skirmishes, younger individuals shadow elders flank-to-flank, and the whole group occasionally launches into an energetic laps-of-the-tank swim. Tankmates should be active mid-water swimmers rather than slow or long-finned fish. Captive breeding is essentially unrecorded, making wild-caught stock the norm. Best suited to intermediate keepers.