Edit Leptobotia guilinensis

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Name

Scientific name

Leptobotia guilinensis

Described by

Authority Chen, Year 1980

Family

Botiidae

Common names

Not recorded

Photograph credits

All 4 credited

Summary

Leptobotia guilinensis is a botiid loach from southern China, described from Guangxi Province and also recorded from neighbouring Hunan. Th…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

100mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Water movement High: fast-flowing river or riffle

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 15.5–21°C, pH 6.5–7.5

Hardness

5–20dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Not for a community

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

China, Li, Yangtze

Writing

Etymology

Named for Guilin City, type locality of this species.

Distribution

Described from a tributary of the Yangtze River (aka Chiang Jiang), Guangxi Province, southern China and also recorded from neighbouring Hunan Province includi…

Habitat

Unconfirmed but presumably a riverine loach favouring clear, well-oxygenated, running water with substrates of rocks and/or gravel. Other members of the genus …

Aquarium size

Aim for a footprint of at least 120 ∗ 30 cm.

Maintenance

Should be kept in a set-up designed to resemble a flowing stream with a substrate of variably-sized rocks, gravel and some water-worn boulders. This can be fur…

Water conditions

Temperature: 15.5 – 21 °C should be adequate for general maintenance and be aware that in warmer climates a means of chilling the water may be necessary during…

Diet

Likely to be a benthic predator hunting insects, crustaceans and smaller fishes in nature. Captive specimens should therefore be offered a varied diet comprisi…

Behaviour and compatibility

Unlikely to prove aggressive but don't keep it with much smaller fishes as they may be intimidated by its size and sometimes very active behaviour. Slow-moving…

Sexual dimorphism

Unconfirmed but presumably females will be heavier-bodied once sexually mature.

Reproduction

No information exists.

Notes

This species is rarely exported for the aquarium hobby with fish labeled as such usually being Sinibotia pulchra or other related species. In the formal descri…

This species is rarely exported for the aquarium hobby with fish labeled as such usually being Sinibotia pulchra or other related species. In the formal description Chen states that it's closely related to Leptobotia, currently Sinibotia, zebra but lacks stripes on the head.

L. elongata is the type species of the genus but according to current thinking there exist 13 members in total, all of which are endemic to China and northern Vietnam.

They're primarily characterised by the following characters: possession of a simple (non-bifurcated), short sub-ocular spine not extending beyond the posterior edge of the eye; a laterally-compressed body; relatively deep caudal peduncle; pelvic fins reaching origin of anal-fin; anus below base of dorsal-fin and equidistant between pelvic and anal-fin origins.

Modern studies have resulted in various changes to the taxonomy of both the family Botiidae and its constituent genera although Leptobotia has been mostly unaffected.

Botiidae has been widely considered a genetically distinct grouping since Nalbant (2002), having previously been considered a subfamily (Botiinae) of the family Cobitidae. Nalbant also moved some previous members of Botia into the new genus Yasuhikotakia based on a number of morphological characters.

Later Kottelat (2004) made further modifications to the taxonomy, raising Chromobotia for B. macracanthus and confirming that species previously included in the genus Hymenophysa should instead be referred to Syncrossus.

The former alteration was based on colour pattern plus some morphological characters and the latter because Hymenophysa not only represents a spelling mistake (McClelland's original spelling was Hymenphysa) but is a junior synonym of Botia.

More recently Kottelat (2012) erected the genus Ambastaia to accommodate A.nigrolineata and A. sidthimunki, two former members of both Botia and Yasuhikotakia.

As a result of these works the family Botiidae is thus divided into two tribes within which Botia appears to be the most basal lineage:

Tribe Leptobotiini - Leptobotia, Parabotia, Sinibotia.
Tribe Botiini - Ambastaia, Botia, Chromobotia, Syncrossus, Yasuhikotakia.

Phylogenetic studies by Tang et al. (2005) and Šlechtová et al. (2006) have largely confirmed this system to be correct although the latter disagreed with the placement of Sinibotia, finding it to be more closely related to the tribe Botiini.

Ambastaia nigrolineata and A. sidthimunki were found to be more closely-related to both Sinibotia and Syncrossus than Yasuhikotakia, despite being considered members of the latter at the time. Šlechtová et al. also proposed the use of subfamily names under the following system:

Subfamily Leptobotiinae - Leptobotia, Parabotia.
Subfamily Botiinae - Botia, Chromobotia, Sinibotia, Syncrossus, Yasuhikotakia.

Within these Botia appears to be the basal, i.e., most ancient, lineage and in a more-detailed phylogenetic analysis Šlechtová et al. (2007) confirmed the validity of the family Botiidae with the genera listed above as members rather then being grouped into subfamilies. This more recent, simpler system is the one we currently follow here on SF.

Leptobotia spp. also possess sharp, motile, sub-ocular spines which are normally concealed within a pouch of skin but erected when an individual is stressed, e.g., if removed from the water. Care is therefore necessary as these can become entangled in aquarium nets and those of larger specimens can break human skin.

Botiids are also susceptible to a condition commonly referred to as 'skinny disease' and characterised by a loss of weight. This is especially common in newly-imported specimens and is thought to be caused by a species of the flagellate genus Spironucleus.

It's treatable although the recommended medication varies depending on country. Hobbyists in the UK tend to use the antibiotic Levamisole and those in the United States Fenbendazole (aka Panacur).

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References

7 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References