INDIAN LOACHES : 8 - Balitora brucei HILLSTREAM LOACH!

Hillstream loach / Gray's stone loach
Scientific name : Balitora brucei (Gray 1830)

IUCN status : Near threatened

Occurrence : North-East India, also reported from Bangladesh, Nepal, Mayanmar (Burma), Bhutan

Aquarium type : Species/specialist hillstream loach setup
Water : Needs pristine water conditions, high dissolved oxygen, pH neutral around 7
Temperature : 18-22 Degrees Celsius
Diet : Biofilm, aufwuchs, micro-crustaceans 

Pictures from my personal tanks, this is a hardy species and a well acclimated fish should thrive in the aquarium

Underside shown in this shot of the fish on aquarium glass, a specimen with perfect finnage. 

Notes : Very rarely available in the international aquarium trade. Increasingly threatened by habitat loss.

Related links :
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/24498
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/166923/0

INDIAN LOACHES : 7 - Bhavania australis HILLSTREAM LOACH!

Hillstream loach
Scientific name : Bhavania australis (Jerdon 1849)

IUCN status : Least concern

Occurrence : Southern India, Western Ghats

Aquarium type : Species/specialist hillstream loach setup
Water : Needs pristine water conditions, high dissolved oxygen, pH neutral around 7
Temperature : 20-24 Degrees Celsius
Diet : Biofilm, aufwuchs

Underside shown in this shot of the fish on aquarium glass, a freshly introduced beautiful specimen with perfect finnage. 

Notes : Very rarely available in the international aquarium trade. Photos shown here depict juvenile fish, adults grow up to have more distinct spotted patterns and have red fins. An even more beautiful fish once full grown. 

Related links :
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/24510 
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/172390/0