Gyrinocheilus aymonieri

Gyrinocheilus aymonieri  is commonly know within the aquatic trade as the "Sucking Loach" or "Chinese Algae Eater". It is not actually a loach at all, but a Cyprinid. The prominent sucking and rasping mouth is used to graze on surfaces within the aquarium. The species is extremely common in shops and sold primarily for it's algae-eating duties. They are bred in countless thousands in SE Asian fish farms for the trade, but in actual fact are not that efficient at algae grazing, particularly when older, nor are they particularly good community fish.

 They have a strong tendency to be territorial and harrass other tank-mates. They may also sucker on to broad, flat-sided fish such as Angelfish and cause distress and sometimes actual bodily damage.

The quite attractive juvenile patterning mellows with age which may be one reason for the popularity of the "Golden Sucking Loach" which is a hyper-melanistic version of the same species. While more attractive, sometimes being even bright yellow, these share the same bad behavioral characteristics as their normally-colored cousins.

See also: Algae Eating Cyprinids

< Back