Sucker-head garra

Garra gotyla

Also known as Gotyla garra, Silver garra, Indian diamond garra

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–77°F (18–25°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Himalayan foothill rivers from Pakistan to Myanmar
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The sucker-head garra is a stone-gripping river fish for an unheated, fast-flowing tank, and it does best in a small group with other current-loving species. It works the bottom, clamping onto rock and wood with a disc-like mouth to rasp algae and biofilm, and it is mostly peaceful but busy and occasionally pushy, so pair it with robust hill-stream barbs and loaches rather than delicate fish. Oversize the flow with strong pumps, and feed grazing plus sinking foods: algae wafers, sinking pellets, and frozen bloodworm or brine shrimp. A tank of around 160 liters with strong current and cool water suits a small group.

In the wild

Garra gotyla ranges along Himalayan foothill rivers from Pakistan through India and Nepal into upper Myanmar, gripping rock in cool, fast, snow-fed current. Recreate that with a river layout of smooth boulders and cobbles, a strong pump or two, and high oxygen. Keep it cool, 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, with pH 6.5 to 7.8. It suffers in warm, still water, so flow and temperature both matter.

Good to know

Garra gotyla is a carp-family fish, Cyprinidae, and one of the larger, more widespread garras, reaching around 15 centimetres. Like all garras it has a sucker-like lower lip and a flattened underside for holding station on rock in current, and mature males grow a raised, tubercled proboscis on the snout. Described by Gray in 1830, it is a river grazer that is not bred in home aquariums.

Did you know

Garras are famous as the aquarium doctor fish and log suckers, and Garra gotyla shows the whole toolkit plainly: a sucker mouth for gripping stone, a flat belly for holding in current, and, on breeding males, a knobbly growth on the snout.

Tank mates

Sucker-head garra is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.