Dwarf loach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dwarf loach |
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Botia sidthimunki |
The dwarf loach is a small, freshwater fish. It is also known by other names like ladderback loach, pygmy loach, chain loach, or chain botia. Its scientific name is Ambastaia sidthimunki. This fish belongs to the Botiidae family.
You can often find dwarf loaches in aquarium stores. Most of these fish are raised by people, not caught from the wild. This is important because the dwarf loach is an endangered species. This means there are very few of them left in their natural homes.
Dwarf loaches live only in certain rivers in Thailand. These include the Mae Klong basin and the Khwae Noi River. They are also found near the Thai-Myanmar border in the Ataran River. Sometimes, people confuse them with a similar fish called Ambastaia nigrolineata.
Contents
About the Dwarf Loach
The dwarf loach is a small fish. It can grow up to about 6 cm (2.5 in) long. These fish like warm water, usually between 25 and 30 °C (77 to 86 °F). They prefer water that is slightly acidic to neutral.
What Dwarf Loaches Eat
Dwarf loaches are omnivorous. This means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes small live crustaceans, insects, and snails.
Where Dwarf Loaches Live in the Wild
The dwarf loach is found in the Mae Klong River and the Khwae Noi River in western Thailand. This species is protected by law in Thailand because it is endangered. For a while, people thought they had disappeared from the wild completely. Luckily, they were recently found again in Sangkhla Buri. Even when they were thought to be gone from the wild, they were still available in the aquarium trade. This was because fish farms had been breeding them for over 30 years.
How the Dwarf Loach Was Discovered
Two people, Somphong Lekaree and Damri Sukaram, discovered this fish in 1959. Somphong Lekaree was a person who exported aquarium fish. Damri Sukaram was a fisherman who caught fish for the aquarium trade.
The fish's scientific name, sidthimunki, honors Aree Sidthimunk. He was a researcher who worked for the Department of Fisheries in Thailand.
Similar Fish Species
The dwarf loach looks a lot like another fish called Ambastaia nigrolineata. This fish is also a protected species in Thailand. It's especially hard to tell them apart when they are fully grown.
However, it's easier to see the difference when the fish are young. Young dwarf loaches (A. sidthimunki) have patterns that look like dots. Young A. nigrolineata have horizontal lines on their bodies. Also, the chain-like pattern that gives the dwarf loach one of its names appears when the fish is smaller.
See also
- List of freshwater aquarium fish species
