Dong

A. macropterus appears in the ornamental trade on an irregular basis and should only be considered by more experienced aquarists with sufficiently large facilities. Given its wide geographical distribution there is a possibility that it represents a group of closely-related species, with genetic studies indicating the existence of several distinct clades.

No bubble nest is built and several thousand eggs simply float at the surface with both male and female remaining to defend the eggs and fry. The eggs hatch after 24-36 hours depending on temperature and the fry are free swimming in a further 24 hours. At this point they resemble 6-7 mm long black tadpoles. It is important to constantly feed...

This species is widely-distributed in the Mekong river system in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, Salween and Ayeyarwaddy rivers in southern China, Myanmar, and Thailand, plus various smaller basins in Vietnam and China. It has also been recorded from the islands of Hainan and Hong Kong. Type locality is given as 'China: sent from Hong Kong'.

L. disparis is sometimes available as bycatch among shipments of other species such as Rhinogobius duospilus but also appears on trade lists under the fictitious scientific name 'Homaloptera hoffmani'. It can be told apart from similar-looking members of the genus Formosania by its noticeably shorter barbels and from Vanmanenia spp. by the fact that the rostral fold is not lobed and the mouth is relatively small (25% head width. In addition the lower lip in Liniparhomaloptera is not divided and has a flat, papillated edge.

Members of the genus are characterised by possessing a particular number of dark vertical bar on each flank, and A. parallens belongs to a group of species with five or six such bars, each of which is two scales in width. Congeners sharing this pattern include A. fasciatus, A. hemispinus (in juveniles only), A. jishouensis, A. kreyenbergii, A. paradoxus, A. spinifer, A. wenchowensis, and A. wuyiensis.