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yoyo/pakistani loach *PIC*

Posted By: The-Wolf <danio2004@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, 4 October 2005, at 1:51 p.m.

I sumise that Botia almorhae and Botia lohachata are two very different species of fish, and not the same fish that is supposed on many sites.

B.almorhae (yoyo/pakistani loach) will reach 6"
and B.lohachata will reach 8+"

The problem is that the young of each fish are almost identical in that they have the "Y" patterning. In B.lohachata this dissipates
and becomes more diluted as the fish gets older and grows, whereas B.almorhae keeps its patterning almost in tact in adulthood.

Fishbase now have B.almorhae listed as Almorha loach with 15.2cm being the adult size and B.lohachata is listed as a Reticulate loach, although they have the adult sized listed as 11cm, which is wrong in my experiance.

references
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12253&genusname=Botia&speciesname=lohachata B.lohachata
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=24687&genusname=Botia&speciesname=almorhae B.almorhae

As you can clearly see in the picture B.almorhae has retained the "Y" pattern and on the B.lohachata it has dissipated. (Speciamines are approx 6" and 8" respectively.)

I am 100% convinced that both species are sold as the same fish, and that you will never know when purchasing the yoyo/pakistani loach what one you
are buying.
 

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