Kindly help ID this Strange Fish

[Urban Aquaria]

I was at Seaview a few days back and spotted this interesting fish in one of their tanks, no name or label written:



Not sure if its their original color or if they are pale and still acclimatizing though, all of the fishes in the tank were quite transparent. They were only 3-4cm in length.

Are they a sort of loach species? I checked online but most loaches seem to have more tapered downward sloping heads... these ones in the photo have heads which sit higher and look abit like mud skippers.

I watched them for a while and they only stayed at the bottom of the tank.

Any fish species experts can help ID it?

[lucasjiang]

Nope, its definitely not a mudskipper, Doesnt look like any form of a goby too, from the pics, i think it has barbels.

My guess is its a horse face loach.

[EdwinTay]

hi bros

I think it's a candaru (I am not sure of the spelling) from the Amazon. Watching National Geographic channel, these are catfish which have been known to umm....go into the male private parts. If it's really candaru, apparently it goes into larger fishes gills to feed, attracted by the ammonia. That's why it occasionally mistakenly goes into human orifices.

[bossteck]

Is it horseface loach?

[lucasjiang]

hi bros

I think it's a candaru (I am not sure of the spelling) from the Amazon. Watching National Geographic channel, these are catfish which have been known to umm....go into the male private parts. If it's really candaru, apparently it goes into larger fishes gills to feed, attracted by the ammonia. That's why it occasionally mistakenly goes into human orifices.

Yup i saw that documentary too. Dont think they will be selling Candiru in a fish shop though, it will pose a real safety hazard to those cleaning the tank

[stormhawk]

This one is probably this:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index...ides-molobrion

Dwarf Horseface Loach

[planted86]

They follow trails of ammonia to enter the part. Unless you swim in the tank, i don't see a threat.

[Urban Aquaria]

Interesting fish... if it does grow to only 2"/5cm then it could be a good species to keep as a group in smaller sand-based tanks.

If anyone does get a few, do post your experience keeping them.