Painted zipper loach

Paracanthocobitis pictilis

Also known as Acanthocobitis pictilis, Red tail zipper loach

FreshwaterFish

Painted zipper loach (Paracanthocobitis pictilis) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F (20–26°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 2.6 in (6.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Ataran drainage, Myanmar and Thailand
Family: Nemacheilidae

Overview

Zipper loaches are the friendly end of the stone-loach spectrum: keep a group and they perch on fins-for-elbows, hop between stones, and beg like minnows. Fine sinking foods, a varied floor, and gentle company suit them.

In the wild

The painted zipper loach comes from the Ataran drainage on the Myanmar-Thailand border, in clear streams over sand and gravel. Keep it at 20 to 26 degrees Celsius with gentle current and pH 6.5 to 7.5.

Good to know

Paracanthocobitis pictilis was described in 2015 in the revision that split the zipper loaches into their own genus; some references keep it in Acanthocobitis. The name means painted or embroidered, for its stitched-looking pattern, and it reaches about 6.5 centimeters.

Did you know

The zipper in the name is the row of stitch-like marks along the back, and in this species the stitching is fancy enough that science called it embroidered.

Tank mates

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