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Skunk Loach

Hora's Loach, Skunk Botia Loach, Cream Loach

Family: CobitidaeYasuhikotakia morletiPhoto © Animal-World: Courtsey Ken Childs

The Skunk Loach is a handsome little loach, often not reaching more than a couple of inches, but it can be feisty!

The Skunk Loach Yasuhikotakia morleti is one of the smaller of the Botias. It is quite pretty and easily distinguished from all others. It is also known as Hora's Loach, Mouse Loach, and Cream Loach, but it is most aptly called Skunk Loach because of its adult coloration and pattern.

The Skunk Loach adult is a uniformly creamy tan to light brown color with a dark stripe running across its back from the tip of its nose to its tail fin. There is also a dark broad band encircling the base of the tail. The tail fin is forked and yellowish in color, and can have some pretty rows of brown dots. Juveniles typically have dark vertical striping on the sides, but this fades as they mature.

The Skunk Botia Loach is a long lived and durable fish. These are hardy, yet smaller sized loaches. They are naturally nocturnal, but once they've become acclimated they will spend a good deal of time out and about during the day. They enjoy a planted tank with open areas to swim and places to hide or retreat to among rocks or wood. They will also munch on snails and are good for snail control.

The Skunk Loach spends the day hiding, but it will get quite active at dusk. It is a lively fish, and though generally quite peaceful it can get aggressive towards members of its own species, especially if there are not enough hiding places. They can be kept well with other tank mates but it is best to have just one of this species. Especially suitable are barbs and armored catfish. The Skunk Loach is a very long lived, durable, and undemanding little fish.

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

Care and feeding: Since they are omnivorous, the Skunk Loach or Hora's Loach will generally eat all kinds of live foods. They like tablets and frozen foods as well, but flake foods are not suggested. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), mosquito larvae, tubifex, daphnia, and some vegetable foods such as algae wafers.

This fish prefers a fairly large aquarium (30 gallons or so) with plants and places for retreat such as rocks, caves, and roots. Also use subdued lighting. They do best in soft, slightly acidic water with frequent water changes of about 10% a week. Because they are burrowers, the substrate needs to be a fine gravel or sand that does not have sharp edges. Be sure to provide hardy plants with the roots protected and have decorations firmly placed on the glass bottom so they don't fall over. Plastic tubes also make safe and excellent hiding places.

Distribution: The Skunk Loach Yasuhikotakia morleti, (previously Botia morleti and Botia horae) are found in northern India; Cambodia, Laos, Thailand. Other common names it is know by are Hora's Loach, Skunk Botia Loach, Mouse Loach, and Cream Loach.

Description:

The Skunk Loach is one of the smaller Botias. They get up to 4 inches (10 cm) in length, but generally only reach a couple of inches in the aquarium. This light brown to tan little fish has a distinctive 'skunk-like' stripe running down the length of its back, starting at the tip of its mouth and ending at a broad black band encircling the base of its tail. The yellowish tail is forked with rows of brown dots. Juveniles have four vertical stripes, sometimes more, spaced evenly along the sides of the body that fade as it reaches adulthood. Unlike other Botia species, their color remains constant throughout their life.

Size - Weight: These fish can get up to 4 inches (10 cm), though they are usually smaller in the aquarium.

Social Behaviors: A good community fish, but they can get aggressive to members of their own species if there are not enough hiding places. It is best to have just one of this species in a community aquarium. Especially suitable tank mates are barbs and armored catfish. Though they hide during the day, they are lively and active in the evening.

Sexual Differences: Unknown.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom: These fish are mostly bottom dwellers.

Acceptable Water Conditions: Hardness: to 5° dH
Ph: 6.0-6.5
Temp: 79-86° F (26-30° C)

Breeding/Reproduction: Not much is known about the breeding habits of the Skunk Loach or Hora's Loach and they are not yet bred commercially.

Availability: The Skunk Loach or Hora's Loach 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
• Martin Thoene, Skunk Loach (Yasuhikotakia morleti), Loaches Online, 2009
• Yasuhikotakia morleti (Tirant, 1885) Skunk botia, Fishbase.org
• Bratz Walker, Sharks and Loaches, T.F.H. Publications, Inc., 1974

Author: Clarice Brough CFS

Lastest Comments on Skunk Loach View all 3 comments on Skunk Loach Add Your Comment

Corrie - 2012-05-21 We have had our single skunk loach (2 inches long) in a 10 gallon tank for over a year. We have a planted aquarium with many logs and it hides most of the day under the logs, but comes out at night for feeding. It is amazing to watch feed, it darts around so fast! And it is very durable and long-lived, we had algae take over our tank and Pepe survived despite the poor filtration that ensued. HOWEVER, it has been aggressive towards other bottom-dwelling fish in the tank, especially the sedentary corydoras. Needs fast swimming tank mates. Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-22 They can be a bit territorial. If you add a lot of caves to a larger tank they are normally fine. Reply

Eugene - 2007-10-24 I love these little "guys" They dart all over the place (when they are not hidden somewhere.) They do pick on the other species a little bit, but not so much that it is a problem at all. MOST important thing I LOVE about these guys is that they eat snails! I have two aquariums with a snail infestation. The one with the skunk fish is keeping the problem at a managable state. They "suck" out the snail meat and leave just the shell. When I vacuum up the waste I always find a bunch of empty shells in the waste water. I am planning to add 3 or 4 of these guys to my other tank with the snail problem! Reply

michael - 2007-01-01 Hearty, amazing little loaches. Mine have been very active, actually to the brink of honest curiosity. I have to admit, they are aggressive fish. I've had trouble keeping Dojo Loaches with them, as well as any other lazy, dopey fish of that nature. It's quite amazing to see HOW voracious they can be, almost like chihuahuas chasing rottwielers. I've seen mine (at only 1 inch!!) chase and beat a cichlid for fifteen straight minutes, until the cichlid was removed from the tank. I've also seen mine tirelessly attempt to devour a crayfish easily THREE times its size, gracefully dodging the claws, and going for the belly. You'll hear plenty of clicks, and have plenty of fun watching these little titans hulk around your tank. As said, avoid Dojos and other lazily curious fish, as they will doubtlessly be picked on. I've seen, in my own experience, that these fish are LESS aggressive when kept solitary (that is, only ONE Skunk). My trio was split up VERY quickly, as they all waged war with my tank. When kept alone, they tend to be very curious, very entertaining fish. Reply

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