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.
Pangio is a genus of small Asian freshwater fish in the true loach family Cobitidae. In earlier taxonomic schemes it was known as Acanthophthalmus. The "kuhli loach" is well-known in the aquarium trade and commonly identified as P. kuhlii, but most individuals actually appear to be P. semicincta.
Botia is a genus of freshwater fish in the loach family (Botiidae). It was a large genus with about 20 species. In 2004 Maurice Kottelat proposed in his paper to divide the genus into four related genera based on fish appearance and locality:
Acantopsis is a genus of freshwater fishes, commonly known as horseface loaches or banana-root fishes, in the family Cobitidae. Fishes of the genus Acantopsis inhabit sandy riverbeds throughout Southeast Asia and are most diverse in the Mekong River in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia wherein five species are known to occur. The common horseface loach, A. rungthipae, is popular in the aquarium trade.
The pond loach, also known as the Dojo loach, oriental weatherloach or oriental weatherfish, is a freshwater fish in the loach family Cobitidae. They are native to East Asia, but are also popular as an aquarium fish and introduced elsewhere in Asia and to Europe, America and Australia. The alternate name weather loach is shared with several other Cobitidae, including the other members of the genus Misgurnus and the spotted weather loach. This term comes from their ability to detect changes in barometric pressure before a storm and react with frantic swimming or standing on end.
Syncrossus berdmorei is a freshwater fish in the loach family Botiidae. It is native to streams and rivers in Thailand, Burma, and nearby parts of northeastern India, where typically found over a soft bottom near boulders and submerged trees. Syncrossus berdmorei grows up to 10 in (25 cm) and can be kept in private aquariums.
Yasuhikotakia is a genus of botiid loaches, many which are popular aquarium fish. It is named in honor of Japanese collector/researcher Dr. Yasuhiko Taki. This genus has been separated from the genus Botia in the paper by Maurice Kottelat in 2004.
Misgurnus is a genus of true loaches found in Europe and Asia. The origin of the name Misgurnus comes from the Greek word miseo and the Turkish gür (loud), a name given to them due to their habit of becoming very active during barometric pressure changes that occur during thunderstorms. The common names, weather loach or weatherfish, also derive from this behavior. Some species of misgurnus are eaten, mostly in Asia, and are also sold as pets in the aquarium trade. Their average size can range from 6 to over 12 inches.
Acanthocobitis is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish of the stone loach family, Nemacheilidae. Recent work has suggested that the genus be split into two with the former subgenus Paracanthocobitis being raised to a full species, leaving just the type species, Acanthocobitis pavonacea, in the current genus.
Cobitis is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cobitidae from temperate and subtropical Eurasia. It contains the "typical spiny loaches", including the well-known spined loach of Europe. Similar spiny loaches, occurring generally south of the range of Cobitis, are nowadays separated in Sabanejewia.
Lepidocephalichthys is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cobitidae.
Nemacheilus is a genus of stone loaches native to Asia.
Schistura is a genus of fish in the stone loach family Nemacheilidae native to the streams and rivers of the southern and eastern Asia. Some of these species are troglobitic.
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.
Loaches are ray-finned fish of the suborder Cobitoidei. They are freshwater, benthic (bottom-dwelling) fish found in rivers and creeks throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. Loaches are among the most diverse groups of fish; the 1249 known species of Cobitoidei comprise about 107 genera divided among 9 families.
The Nemacheilidae, or stone loaches, are a family of cypriniform fishes that inhabit stream environments, mostly in Eurasia, with one genus, Afronemacheilus found in Africa. The family includes about 790 species.
Syncrossus hymenophysa, commonly known as the tiger loach, tiger botia or green tiger loach, is a species of freshwater fish in the loach family Botiidae. It is native to fast mountain streams and large rivers, over soft substrates and often near submerged boulders and fallen trees, in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Unlike most loaches, S. hymenophysa is very aggressive, especially when food is added to the tank.
Syncrossus helodes, commonly known as banded loach, tiger botia or lesser katy loach, is a freshwater fish in the loach family Botiidae. It is native to rivers in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. S. helodes resembles S. hymenophysa from Borneo, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, and the two have frequently been confused. It differs from the latter species by the absence of a dark spot on the dorsal fin, 10–12 bars on body without blue borders and the presence of irregular dark markings on the lower body.
Paracanthocobitis is a genus, or subgenus, of freshwater fish in the family Nemacheilidae. This genus is known from the Indus basin in Pakistan to the Mekong basin of Cambodia and Laos The type species is Paracanthocobitis zonalternans. Some authorities treat this as a subgenus of Acanthocobitis
Synocrossus beauforti, the barred loach, chameleon loach or chameleon botia, is a species of freshwater fish from the loach family Botiidae which is found in mainland south-east Asia.
