An efficient, largely piscivorous, predator with highly protrusible mouthparts. In the aquarium, juveniles can be offered chironomid larvae (bloodworm), small earthworms, chopped prawn, and suchlike, while adults will accept strips of fish flesh, whole prawns, mussels, live river shrimp, larger earthworms, etc. Older individuals do not require feeding on a daily basis, with 2-3 times per week sufficient.

Endemic to the middle and lower Mekong River system in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Its known range extends from Chiang Rai province, Thailand in the north to Kratie province, Cambodia in the south, and it occurs in several important tributary systems including the Sesan, Srepok, and Tonlé Sap.

Type locality is ‘Mekong River at Kemarat, Thailand’.

The majority of Lobocheilos species are endemic to the Greater Sunda Islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, and are uncommon in the aquarium trade, but the widespread Indochinese taxa L. melanotaenia and L. rhabdoura are available on a sporadic basis.

L. melanotaenia can be distinguished from L. rhabdoura by the following comb…

This species can be distinguished by the following characters: juveniles with brown body and dark marking at base of caudal-fin; 37-42 + 3-4 lateral line scales; 11½ branched dorsal-fin rays; 7½ scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin; 20-25 predorsal scales; dorsal-fin relatively small with anterior branched rays shorter than head in juveniles, slightly longer than head in adults.

The monotypic genus Incisilabeo is separated from the closely-related taxon Bangana by presence of a unique and conspicuous transverse notch across the top of the head, comparable in position to the ethmoid furrow in Bangana species. This notch approaches the eye, and the top of the head bulges forward, with the nostrils located partially beneath this projection and immediately anterior to the eyes. Tubercles cover the upper portion of the rostral fold, lower part of the notch, and upper surface of the forehead projection…

This species is migratory on a seasonal basis; during the dry season it can be found in larger river channels, whereas during drier months it moves into smaller tributaries and flooded forests.

Apparently displays a preference for rocky habitats and is not known to adapt to reservoirs or other artificial impoundments.

Inhabits well-oxygenated, low-to-medium gradient, slow to moderate-flowing rivers and streams with substrates of gravel, cobbles, larger boulders and exposed bedrock. At the habitat in our image pH was 7.5, temperature 26°C and cond…

B. aurotaeniatus is uncommon in the aquarium trade. Following Kottelat (1998) it has a single pair of maxillary barbels, a complete lateral line and colour pattern usually comprising four small, vertically-orientated black markings on the flanks (located above anterior lateral line origin, below dorsal-fin origin, below posterior end of dorsal-fin base and on caudal peduncle, respectively) and one on the dorsal surface, below dorsal-fin origin.

This species exhibits some interesting behaviour including a degree of social interaction plus the ability to cling to vertical or overhanging surfaces. It’s sometimes sold under the name ‘serpent loach’.

The genus currently contains just three members all of which are known only from the Mekong basin. S. octozona is the type species and separated from the others mainly by body patterning which consists of 7-8 dark bars on each flank, these extending the full depth of the body and much wider than the pale interspaces between.

Traditionally considered to be a micropredator feeding on insect larvae and suchlike (Rainboth, 1996), but a study by Herder and Freyhof (2006) revealed adult A. normani inhabiting the Duc My River in central Vietnam to be specialised grazers of cyanobacteria. In rapids the latter form hard encrustations on rock surfaces from which adults are able to bite chunks.