Saddle-back Loach

Homaloptera orthogoniata

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–77°F (20–25°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 45 gal (170 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Borneo
Family: Balitoridae

Overview

The saddle-back loach is a slender hillstream fish that lives among rocks in fast water and is happiest in a group of six or more, where it is bolder and more active. It clings to and darts between stones on the bottom, grazing biofilm and picking at small foods, and it is entirely peaceful. It needs mature, algae-rich surfaces plus supplements of sinking wafers and small frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworms. This is a demanding species that suffers in warm, still, or dirty water, so pair it only with calm, cool-water fish that share its needs. A group requires a well-oxygenated tank of around 170 liters or larger with strong flow.

In the wild

Homaloptera orthogoniata is endemic to Borneo, living in swift, clear headwater streams that run cool and highly oxygenated over rock and gravel. It needs those conditions in the tank, roughly 20 to 25 C with a pH from about 6 to 7.5 and a brisk current. Use a powerhead or strong return to keep the water moving, lay in smooth rounded stones and cobbles for grazing and shelter, and keep the tank mature so biofilm can build. Pristine, well-filtered water and steady oxygen are essential, since this loach declines quickly in stagnant or polluted conditions.

Good to know

Homaloptera orthogoniata is a member of Balitoridae, the river loaches, and grows to around 11 cm. It has a low, tapering body marked with three or four large dark saddles across the back, and broad paired fins that help it grip rock in fast current. It lacks the erectile eye spine of the botiid and true loaches. Breeding is not recorded in home aquaria, and it is presumed to spawn among stones in flowing water, with trade fish taken from the wild.

Did you know

The saddle-back loach gets its name from the row of three or four broad, dark saddle markings that straddle its back, breaking up its outline against a mottled streambed. The pattern makes it one of the easier hillstream loaches to tell apart from its plainer relatives.