Broadhead hillstream loach

Pseudogastromyzon laticeps

Also known as Wide-headed butterfly loach, Fire fin Chinese sucker loach

FreshwaterFish

Broadhead hillstream loach (Pseudogastromyzon laticeps) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–75°F (18–24°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 24 gal (90 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Longjin River drainage, Guangdong, China
Family: Gastromyzontidae

Overview

A small, sociable bottom grazer that is happiest in a group of five or six, spread across a floor of flat, algae-covered stones. It is mostly peaceful; males lay claim to feeding rocks and shove rivals off, but the disputes are bloodless and settle once there is enough real estate to go around. Expect it to graze biofilm from dawn to dusk, and supplement that with fine sinking foods, crushed wafers, and the odd frozen treat that reaches the bottom. Pair it only with gentle, current-tolerant fish that will not strip the food before it settles. A footprint-focused tank of around 90 liters suits a group better than a tall one.

In the wild

This butterfly loach is found only in the Longjin River drainage in Guangdong, southern China, a single system of clear, fast hill streams. Because that water is cool and richly oxygenated, keep the tank at 18 to 24 C with vigorous flow and lots of surface agitation. Use rounded stones and slab-like rock for grazing, a fine gravel base, and keep the pH mildly acidic to neutral, 6.5 to 7.5.

Good to know

Pseudogastromyzon laticeps belongs to the hillstream loach family Gastromyzontidae and grows to about 8 centimeters. Chen and Zheng described it in 1980, and the name laticeps means broad-headed: the front of the fish is notably wide, roughly twice as wide as it is deep. So far no one has recorded it spawning in captivity.

Did you know

Everything science knows of this fish comes from one river system in Guangdong; it has never been recorded outside the Longjin drainage, so a healthy captive group is a real slice of the whole species.

Tank mates

Broadhead hillstream loach is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.