Spined loach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spined loach |
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The spined loach (Cobitis taenia) is a small, common freshwater fish found in Europe. People sometimes call it the spotted weather loach. It's important not to mix it up with other fish known as "weather loaches." This fish is a main example for its group, the spiny loach genus (Cobitis), and for the true loach family (Cobitidae).
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Meet the Spined Loach
Spined loaches usually grow to be about 8 to 10 centimeters long. That's about the length of a small pencil! Female loaches can get a bit bigger, up to 12 centimeters. Adult fish weigh between 20 and 60 grams.
Their backs are a mix of yellow and brown. They have many small grey or brown scales along their spine. Their bellies are a lighter color, like pale yellow or orange. The spined loach has a long, thin body shape.
Around its mouth, it has 6 barbels. These are like whiskers that help it feel around and find food. Under its eyes, there's a special two-pointed spike. The fish can use this spike to give a painful sting if it feels threatened.
Where Spined Loaches Live
You can find spined loaches across much of temperate Europe. They live from the Volga River in the east all the way to France in the west. They are not found in places like Ireland, Scotland, Wales, or northern Scandinavia. Some groups of these fish also live just south of the Alpide mountains.
In the United Kingdom, spined loaches are mostly found in five rivers in eastern England. These rivers include the Trent, Welland, Witham, Nene, and Great Ouse.
Scientists used to think that spined loaches in southwestern Europe were the same species. However, they are actually different types of Cobitis fish. The spined loach has close relatives like C. elongatoides and C. tanaitica. These related species live in places like northern Greece, parts of Romania, and western Turkey.
Spined Loach Habits and Home
Spined loaches like clear water that has a lot of oxygen. They can live in slow-moving streams, rivers, or even still water. You'll often find them in areas with flat, sandy, or stony bottoms. They sometimes gather in large groups. Because they are interesting to watch, spined loaches are sometimes kept as aquarium fish.
During the day, these fish like to hide. They bury themselves in the sand or mud at the bottom of the water. Only their head and tail stick out. At night, they become very active. They eat sand from the riverbed, along with small animals and other tiny bits of food. They get rid of the sand they don't need by pushing it out through their gills. They need to keep eating all night to get enough energy to live.
Spined loaches have a special trick: they can breathe through their intestines! This helps them survive if the water around them doesn't have enough oxygen. They can swallow air from the water's surface. The oxygen from this air goes into their intestine. After they use the oxygen, they push the air out through their anus.
Life Cycle of the Spined Loach
The spined loach's breeding season is from April to June. During this time, female loaches lay between 300 and 1,500 eggs. They usually lay their eggs close to the ground, on stones, roots, or plants. The male fish then fertilize the eggs. The baby fish, called larvae, hatch from the eggs in about 4 to 6 days.
Spined loaches usually live for about 3 to 5 years in the wild. If they are kept in a safe place like an aquarium, they can live much longer, sometimes up to 10 years!
See also
- Loach
