Cobitidae, also known as the true loaches, is a family of Old World freshwater fish. They occur throughout Eurasia and in Morocco, and inhabit riverine ecosystems. Today, most "loaches" are placed in other families. The family includes about 260 described species. New species are being described regularly.
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 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.
Lepidocephalichthys is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cobitidae.
Protocobitis is a genus of loaches endemic to Guangxi in China and living in caves.
Botiidae, the pointface loaches, is a family of cypriniform ray-finned fishes from South, Southeast, and East Asia. Until recently they were placed in the true loach family Cobitidae, until Maurice Kottelat revised the loaches and re-elevated this taxon to family rank in 2012. The family includes about 56 species.
Beaufortia is a genus of gastromyzontid loaches from China and mainland Southeast Asia.
Balitora is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Balitoridae endemic to Asia.
Barbucca is a genus of loaches native to Southeast Asia. It is currently the only genus in its family.
Bhavania is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balitoridae, the loaches in this family are commonly known as hillstream loaches although this name also refers to the loaches in the family Gastromyzontidae. The loaches in this genus are foiund in southern India.
Erromyzon is a genus of fish in the family Gastromyzontidae endemic to China and Vietnam.
Glaniopsis is a small genus of loaches endemic to the island of Borneo.
Liniparhomaloptera is a genus of fish in the family Gastromyzontidae found in China and Vietnam.
Vaillantella, the long-fin loaches, is a small genus of loaches found in Southeast Asia. This genus is the only member of the family Vaillantellidae having been confirmed as such by M. Kottelat in his review of the loaches in 2012.
Koreocobitis is a small genus of loaches endemic to the Korean Peninsula.
Yaoshina is a monospecific genus 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. The only species in the genus is Yaoshania pachychilus, the panda loach. A loach which is endemic to mountain streams in Jinxiu County, Guangxi in China. This species grows to a length of 5.8 centimetres (2.3 in) SL. This species is monotypic, but it was formerly included in Protomyzon. Juveniles are strikingly coloured in black-and-white, but adults are relatively plain. Y. pachychilus quickly became a popular aquarium fish in the 2010s.
Balitoropsis also known as the lizard loaches is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Balitoridae, the loaches in this family are commonly known as hillstream loaches although this name also refers to the loaches in the family Gastromyzontidae. These loaches are found in mainland Southeast Asia, Sumatra and Borneo.
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.
Tarimichthys is a subgenus of stone loach genus Triplophysa native to China which contains two species. Some authorities recognise Tarimichthys as a valid taxon.
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.
