Pond loach
species of freshwater fish
The pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), also known as the Dojo loach, oriental weatherloach or oriental weatherfish, is a freshwater fish in the loach family Cobitidae. They are native to East Asia, but are also popular as an aquarium fish and introduced elsewhere in Asia and to Europe, America and Australia. The alternate name weather loach is shared with several other Cobitidae, including the other members of the genus Misgurnus and the spotted weather loach (Cobitis taenia, commonly known as spined loach). This term comes from their ability to detect changes in barometric pressure before a storm and react with frantic swimming or standing on end.
Description
Pond loaches usually range from 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) in length, although individuals can reach 28 cm (11 in) in standard length; females are generally larger than males.They also come in a variety of colors, such as pink, orange, albino and gray, and can vary in colour from yellow to olive green, to a common light brown or grey with lighter undersides. Like many other loaches, pond loaches have slender, eel-like body. The mouth of the loach is surrounded by three sets of barbels, which are used to sift through silt or pebbles to find food, and also to dig under gravel and sand to conceal the fish out of nervousness or self-defence, unlike the other loaches who use the spines beneath the eyes.
Pond loaches are bottom-dwelling omnivores whose diet consists largely of small benthic invertebrates and detritus. Stomach-content studies have found aquatic insect larvae, small crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates among their major food items.
Pond loaches are very hardy fish that can live in poor-quality water, and can survive short periods of drought by producing a layer of moisture-trapping mucus to keep themselves damp.
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