The hillstream loaches or river loaches are a family, the Balitoridae, of small fish from South, Southeast and East Asia. The family includes about 202 species. They are sometimes sold as "lizardfish" or "flossensaugers". Many of the species are popular for aquaria, species in the genus Sewellia are most commonly sold in the aquaria trade. They have a number of similarities with the Cobitidae, their sibling family of "loaches", such as multiple barbels around the mouth. They should not be confused with the loricariids, which look similar but are a family of catfish.
The wreckfish are a small group of ray-finned fish in the genus Polyprion, belonging to the monotypic family Polyprionidae in the order Acropomatiformes.
The sea chubs, also known as rudderfish and pilot fish and in Hawaiian as enenue or nenue, are a family, Kyphosidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes native to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans usually close to shore in marine waters.
Annamia is a small genus of gastromyzontid loaches native to Southeast Asia. There are two species, though one of them is of doubtful validity and identity:
Erromyzon is a genus of fish in the family Gastromyzontidae endemic to China and Vietnam.
Formosania is a genus of gastromyzontid loaches, most of which are endemic to mainland China. Two species, F. lacustris and F. tengi, are endemic to Taiwan.
Glaniopsis is a small genus of loaches endemic to the island of Borneo.
Hypergastromyzon is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, commonly called the hillstream loaches, although this also refers to the loaches in the family Balitoridae. The loaches in this genus are endemic to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
Parhomaloptera is a monospecific genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, a group which shares the common name hillstream loaches with the family Balitoridae. The only species in the genus is Parhomaloptera microstoma. It lives in fast-flowing streams and grows to a maximum published total length of 8.8 cm (3.5 in). This taxon is endemi to Borneo, occurring in both East Malaysia and Kalimantan.
Protomyzon is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, commonly called the hillstream loaches, although this also refers to the loaches in the family Balitoridae. The loaches in this genus are endemic to Borneo.
Pseudogastromyzon is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, commonly called the hillstream loaches, although this also refers to the loaches in the family Balitoridae. The loaches in this genus are found in fast-flowing streams and rivers in China.
Serpenticobitis, popularly known as serpent loaches, is a small genus of loaches found in the Mekong River Basin in Southeast Asia. It is the only genus in the family Serpenticobitidae.
Bangana is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. It is distributed across much of southern and eastern Asia. Species live mainly in the flowing waters of tropical and subtropical rivers.
The Gastromyzontidae are a family of loaches native to China and Southeast Asia, where typically found in streams and rivers with a fast current. The family includes about 137 species in eighteen genera. This family was resurrected by M. Kottelat in his review and revision of the loaches in 2012. They are commonly called hillstream loaches.
The ara, otherwise known as the saw-edged perch or the Dageumbari (다금바리) is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the monospecific genus Niphon in the monogeneric family Niphonidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean from Japan south to the Philippines where it inhabits rock reefs and inshore waters with rocky sea beds. This species can grow up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) in total length. The ara was first formally described in 1828 by Georges Cuvier in the Histoire naturelle des poissons which he co-authored with Achille Valenciennes, the type locality was given as the Sea of Japan.
Sewellia media is a species of fish in the family Gastromyzontidae. The fish is only known in Vietnam.
Bashimyzon is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, a family which shares the common name hillstream loaches with the Balitoridae. These loaches are found in the Guangxi Province of China.
Engkaria is a monospecific genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, commonly called the hillstream loaches, although this also refers to the loaches in the family Balitoridae. The only species in the genus is Engkaria eubranchus, a species formerly classified in the genus Hypergastromyzon, which is endemic to the Lupar River basin in southern Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo.
Labigastromyzon is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, commonly called the hillstream loaches, although this also refers to the loaches in the family Balitoridae. The loaches in the genus are found in China.
Sewellia monolobata is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Gastromyzontidae, commonly called the hillstream loaches, although this also refers to the loaches in the family Balitoridae. This loach is found in the Thu Bon River drainage, Quang Nam Province in Vietnam.
