Edit Parabotia bimaculatus
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Name
Scientific name
Parabotia bimaculatus
Described by
Authority Chen, Year 1980
Family
Botiidae
Common names
Not recorded
Photograph credits
All 1 credited
Summary
Parabotia bimaculatus is a riverine botiid loach from the upper Yangtze basin in Sichuan, southwest China, described from the Laixi River a…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
140mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 45 cm, Water movement High: fast-flowing river or riffle
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 20–24°C, pH 6–7.5
Hardness
2–20dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Peaceful
Social needs
A shoal or group
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
China, Laixi, Yangtze
Writing
Etymology
From the Latin bis, meaning 'twice', and maculato, meaning 'spotted', in reference to the two dark spots on the caudal peduncle of this species.
Distribution
Type locality is the town of Luxian, located north of Luzhou city, Sichuan province, southwest China. Luxian lies on the Laixi River, one of several tributarie…
Habitat
A riverine loach favouring clear, well-oxygenated, running water with substrates of rocks and/or gravel. Other members of the genus are present in bedrock and …
Aquarium size
An aquarium with a base measuring 120 ∗ 45 cm or similar should be the minimum considered.
Maintenance
Best maintained 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 fu…
Water conditions
Temperature: Can tolerate higher temperatures provided its oxygen requirements are maintained but for general aquarium care a value of 20 – 24 °C is recommende…
Diet
Likely to be an opportunistic, benthic predator feeding on insects, crustaceans and perhaps fish fry in nature. Captive specimens aren't fussy but should be of…
Behaviour and compatibility
Not especially aggressive but much smaller fishes might be intimidated by its size and sometimes very active behaviour. Slow-moving, long-finned species such a…
Sexual dimorphism
Sexually-mature females should be heavier-bodied than males.
Reproduction
Unrecorded in aquaria, but presumably a seasonal, perhaps migratory, spawner in nature.
Notes
It's unlikely that this species has been traded to date though a handful of specimens have been maintained by private collectors. It looks similar to the conge…
References
References
8 on this profile