Homaloptera

Homaloptera bilineata is a 'lizard' loach from the Sittaung and Salween basins of Myanmar and tributaries of the Mae Klong in western Thailand. Uniquely in the genus, the dark markings running back from the snout form two distinct stripes meeting at the dorsal fin and do not form saddles. An obligate dweller of swift, oxygen-saturated streams, it needs clean, well-oxygenated water and is best kept in a group of six or more.

Homaloptera confuzona is a 'lizard' loach mostly recorded from the Mekong basin in Laos and Cambodia, and from smaller drainages in southern Thailand. It appears in the trade from time to time, though not always identified correctly. It resembles H. orthogoniata and H. parclitella, but its saddle-shaped markings are more irregular, up to four in number, and often restricted to the upper half of the body.

Homaloptera ogilviei is a small 'lizard' loach recorded through much of the Malay Peninsula in both Malaysia and southern Thailand. Quite rare in the trade, it is sometimes imported as bycatch and sold as 'lizard' or 'gecko' loach. Its paired fins are orientated vertically, unlike those of other members of the genus, and in aquaria it perches on the tips of its fins at rest. It favours slower stretches among plants, roots or leaf litter.

The saddle-back loach, Homaloptera orthogoniata, is a 'lizard' loach endemic to Borneo, known from rivers in Sarawak and Kalimantan. It was historically said to occur across much of Indochina. It is rare in the hobby, and most images online and in the literature show H. confuzona or H. parclitella. It always has three large, saddle-shaped markings on the back, the third between the dorsal and caudal fins.

Homaloptera parclitella is a 'lizard' loach from Peninsular Malaysia and the Sai Buri, Bang Nara and Kolok river systems of southern Thailand. It was previously considered a form of H. orthogoniata and may be seen identified as such online and in print. It always has two large, saddle-shaped markings on the back, where H. orthogoniata has three, and it lives in swift, clear, oxygen-saturated streams.