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Dojo Loach

Weather Loach, Oriental weatherfish, Chinese Weatherfish

Family: CobitidaeMisgurnus anguillicaudatusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

The Dojo Loach is a true curiosity with their habit of becoming very active when there is a weather change!

The Dojo Loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus is a remarkable fish. It is quite hardy and adaptable. It is commonly referred to as a Weather Loach or Weatherfish, derived from their habit of becoming very active when there is a change in the weather change, possible related to barometric pressure. You can find these fish called by a number of common names including Oriental weatherfish, Chinese Weatherfish, Japanese Weatherfish, Oriental Weather Loach, and Pond loach. And in the case of a yellow colored variety it is also called a Golden Dojo Loach.

This Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is very easy to care for. They wiggle about in an eel like fashion scavenging the bottom for leftover bits of food, even munching on snails. They also like to dig and burrow into the substrate often burying themselves. Provide an aquarium that is large enough for its playful antics, have a soft substrate of sand or fine gravel, and have a good filter for the detritus they stir up. They are most active in the evening, so during the day they like hiding and resting places created with rocks and wood. Plants are nice but they should be potted.

The Oriental Weatherfish is available in both its wild form and in a gold variety, called the Golden Dojo Loach. In its wild form this loach has dark greenish gray to dark brown spots over a yellowish brown body (often mottled) with a paler belly. The Golden Dojo Loach variety can range from a yellow to an orange color and they are usually thin bodied.

Oriental Weatherfish have some very unique qualities. The Dojo Loach is very 'pet-like'. They can be trained to take food from your hand and even enjoy being touched. They are also jumpers. Should they happen to leap out of their home they can survive for a time even out of the water. A couple of ways the Weather Loach does this is by producing a thick mucus coating that keeps them moist; and by being able to swallow air, absorbing atmospheric oxygen through their hind gut.

The Dojo Loach makes an excellent community fish with other non-aggressive tank mates. They love to socialize with other fish and loaches sometimes resting with them or sometimes chasing them about, but they don't hurt them.

For Information on keeping freshwater fish, see:
Freshwater Aquarium Guide: Aquarium Setup and Care

Care and feeding: Since they are omnivorous, the Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is not a picky eater and will generally eat all kinds of live foods, sinking pelleted and tablet foods, flakes, and algae. They like frozen foods as well. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake or tablet food everyday. Feed mosquito larvae and brine shrimp (either live or frozen), tubifex, daphnia, and some vegetable foods such as algae wafers. They will also eat snails, so are good for snail control.

This fish prefers a good sized aquarium (30 gallons or more) with places for retreat such as rocks, caves, and roots. Also use subdued lighting. They do best with frequent water changes of about 10% a week. Because they are constantly scavenging for tidbits and burying themselves in the substrate, use a sand or fine gravel that does not have sharp edges. Be sure to provide hardy plants with the roots protected.

Distribution: The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus is found in Asia: Myanmar and Northeastern Asia and southward to Central China, Japan Siberia, Korea, and Hainan. They inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and rice fields; preferring the muddy bottoms. They have also been introduced into the wilds of Australia and Hawaii. They are a food fish in many Asian countries, especially Japan.

The Weather Loach we are describing here, Misgurnus anquillicaudatusis, is one of three species commonly referred to as a weather loach. The other two are Misgurnus fossilis and Cobitis taenia. They all come from similar environments and have similar behaviors. The two Misgurnus species are identified by their color patterns with the M. anguillicaudatus being spotted and the M fossilis having horizontal stripes along the body. It is still being discussed whether the spotted one is simply a subspecies of the striped one, though they come from different geographical areas.

Description:

The body of the Dojo Loach is long and cylindrical, almost eel-like. It is circular towards the front but flattens towards the rear, and it can be thin or heavy. They have are five pairs of barbels around the mouth, with two of them located on the lower jaw. They can be brown to yellow with a dark greenish gray to dark brown spots, usually creating a marbling patten, and are paler on the underside.

A common color morph is the Golden Dojo Loach. It can range from a yellow to an orange color and they are usually thin bodied. They do have spots but they are usually extremely faint.

Golden Dojo Loach Photo © Animal-World: Courtsey Ken Childs

Size - Weight: These fish reach about 6" (15 cm) in the aquarium, but in the wild these fish are generally reported to reach up to about 10" (25 cm), and the Baensch Aquarium Atlas, Volume 2 reports up to 20" (50 cm).

Social Behaviors: A very good community fish, they get along well with other loaches and tank mates that are non-aggressive. They are quite lively and active, especially in the evening. They will scavenge about the substrate for tidbits of food and love to dig and burrow. Good for snail control.

Sexual Differences: Mature males can be identified by the second pectoral ray being long and thick, and it appears more triangular than rounded.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom: These fish are mostly bottom dwellers, but will spend some time in the middle and top of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions: Hardness: no special demands
Ph: 6.5-7.5
Temp: 50 -77° F (10 -25° C)

Breeding/Reproduction: It has been said they have been spawned accidentally, scattering tiny red adhesive eggs, but not much more is known about the breeding habits of the Dojo Loach or Weather Loach and they are not yet bred commercially.

Availability: The Dojo Loach or Weather Loach is the most common loach and is readily available.

References

• Animal-World References: Freshwater Fish and Plants
• Dr. Rüdiger Riehl and Hans A. Baensch, Aquarium Atlas Vol. 1, Publisher Hans A. Baensch, 1991
• Dr. Rüdiger Riehl and Hans A. Baensch, Aquarium Atlas Vol. 2, Publisher Hans A. Baensch, 1993
• Martin Thoene, Weather Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), Loaches Online, 2009
• Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor, 1842) Pond loach, Fishbase.org
• Bratz Walker, Sharks and Loaches, T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 1974

Author: Clarice Brough CFS

Lastest Comments on Dojo Loach View all 75 comments on Dojo Loach Add Your Comment

shannon - 2012-04-27 One of my loaches is very sick, thought it was dead but it keeps waking up. He is swollen through out his belly. Help, I don't want him to die, but I dont want him to suffer either. Thanks for any help Shannon Jeremy Roche - 2012-04-27 Have you checked water quality? Reply

neil - 2011-03-19 Hello there I am trying to breed the dojo weather loach for the past 2 years, I study fish husbandry and fish biology and am a lover for fish through and through! I have six loaches in a 4ft tank with a ehiem external filter the tank consists of a large mix of fish naming a few, carp, tench, red tailed shark, one large coldwater plec, one medium tropical orange spotted plec, large fresh water mussels, one of the loaches is now around 7 inches and has a large belly (egg sack looking). I have the temp quite high and have been increasing it over the last 2 years now it looks as she might lay eggs. My question is what do I do leave her and reduce the other fish stock or try and catch the loaches and move them into a smaller hatchery tank? Please get back many thanks neil xx chris - 2011-04-04 Do you have warm enough water? chris - 2011-04-05 All of your fish may be bothering the loaches, so it will be harder for them to breed, and you may have to have warmer water. chris - 2011-04-11 It might be a disease called ick. Jori - 2011-06-24 Uum even if you do get breeding fish with other fish like that in the tank they will eat the eggs, plecos and carp and the sharks will make quick work of any fry too. Highly recommend moving them to their own, shallow ish but big tank (much like a ray or skate tank) with a area of lots of water movement (as dojo loaches will often lay eggs in direct current to keep them oxygenated) and an area with a lot of live plant and little current for hiding as a breeding pair may be shy and these are smart fish and will see you around if you come into the room. Tashy G - 2011-10-16 They need cooler temperature to breed... Like 20 or lower... And apparently they don't breed in captivity :/ Michael - 2012-02-21 I have 2 loaches 1 of them is a weather loach. One of them jumped out of the tank and stayed on the floor all night. Next morning I found him on the floor. He always dug in the gravel. I think loaches are the best pet ever! anna phillips - 2012-02-27 Weather loaches are a cold water fish, breeding is triggered in coldwater tempetures ,around 64 farineheight. I would do breeding in long tank. They like to chase. Jeremy Roche - 2012-04-14 I would move the fry so you don't end up stressing your community out too much. If a small community tank and you have another established tank you can move them. Renz - 2012-04-26 Separate carefully the other fish from loach, for them to breed and to release eggs. Put also any aquatic plants inside the tank for the eggs to attached and hatch. Supply them with continues water flow inside the tank. Reply

Janis - 2012-04-17 I have a dojo and kuil loach in a 10 gal tank I would like to get one more of each will I be overcrowding them ???? Jeremy Roche - 2012-04-17 That will be fine for them. Reply

Jadey - 2011-09-15 I have 2 loaches (Ken, and Sven), Sven likes to drape himself over the stuff in the tank and he looks like he's posing, and Ken, the larger of the 2 likes standing upright which, I think is a bit strange, but he seems alright! Toby Jungle - 2011-09-15 That has to look a little odd.... Tashy G - 2011-10-16 You can try flakes and pellets at the same time. I have the same scenario but I try to aim the pellets where my pearlscales wouldn't see them or couldn't reach them. There's a lot of microscopic food that WE don't see but our loaches find it on the bottom... So I wouldn't worry too much Anonymous - 2012-01-10 Awww theey sound adorable. Loaach behavior is hilarious and so endearing.....www.loaches.com for expert fanaticaal advice and just a great big poach loving community. Jody L Donovan - 2012-03-07 Bloodworms are good too. Arvin Lepalam - 2012-04-14 i used to have 2 but the larger one leaped out of the tank at the middle of the night and died the smaller one seems fine and behaves. Reply

Arvin Lepalam - 2012-04-14 one of my dojo loach jump out of the tank at the middle of the night. Why?? Charlie Roche - 2012-04-15 They just don't 'jump out of the tank' they just jump and it happens to land them out of the tank. Tank covers..... Reply

magnus - 2012-04-05 Well, I got a dojo loach with discus in 27.3 degrees celsius. It's fine :) Scooting around the tank and swimming together with my cory cats. It's such a nice fish! :) So I think that 27 degrees is fine for them, at least if you do a weekly water change where you pour water in that's about 2 or 3 degrees colder, to make it seem like fresh rainwater :) Reply

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