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380 Featured Specimen
Kuhli loach

Details

Kuhli loach

Pangio kuhlii

Size
7–12 cm · 3–10 g
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Loose group
Lifespan
8–12 years

The kuhli loach is a slender striped loach of Southeast Asian waters. At night it threads through leaves and sand while searching for fine foods.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
IndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayan

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It lives in forest streams, swamps, and leaf-rich freshwater of the Indomalayan region. Soft bottoms, roots, and litter provide shelter.

Appearance

Length 7-12 cm; weight 3 g-10 g. The eel-like body is yellowish with dark bands. Small barbels around the mouth help probe the bottom for food.

Behavior

Nocturnal, it hides under sand, leaves, or roots by day. Loose groups may share the same shelter.

Feeding

An omnivore, it eats small invertebrates, detritus, and sunken organic matter. It sifts and sucks fine food from the bottom.

Reproduction

Spawning is associated with changing water levels such as rainy periods. Eggs are scattered near plants or the bottom, without parental care.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.