Yoyo loach

Botia almorhae

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 66–81°F (19–27°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 6.3 in (16 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: India
Family: Botiidae

Overview

The yoyo loach is a hardy, patterned botiid that should be kept in a group of six or more, where it forms an active shoal and is far more relaxed and outgoing. It spends its time on the bottom, digging through sand and exploring wood and rock, and it is one of the more reliable pest-snail hunters. It is peaceful in a good-sized group but can turn nippy if kept in ones and twos, so numbers matter. Pair it with active, similarly robust community fish. Feed sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, snails, and the occasional vegetable. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 160 liters or larger with plenty of caves.

In the wild

Botia almorhae comes from the clear hill streams and rivers of northern India, in the Ganges drainage and possibly into Nepal, running over sand, gravel, and stone. These waters shift with the seasons but generally sit between 19 and 27 C, at a pH from about 6 to 7.5. A good tank offers a soft substrate, smooth rocks and driftwood built into caves and gaps, and brisk, well-oxygenated flow. Clean, stable water and shaded retreats suit a fish from cool, flowing hill habitats and let the group forage in the open with confidence.

Good to know

Botia almorhae is a member of Botiidae and grows to around 16 cm. Juveniles carry bold dark markings on a silvery-gold body that break up into a fine, reticulated maze as the fish ages. Like other botiine loaches it has a sharp, erectile spine below each eye, used in defense and easily caught in a net. Breeding is not recorded in home aquaria, and commercial fish are farmed, often with hormone induction, so wild collection is limited.

Did you know

The yoyo loach owes its name to the dark markings on young fish, which often line up to read like the letters Y-O-Y-O along the flank. The pattern is clearest in juveniles and dissolves into a maze of fine lines as the loach matures.