Schistura vinciguerrae

Summary

Scientific name: Schistura vinciguerrae (Hora, 1935)

Common name: None

Synonyms: Nemacheilus vinciguerrae, Nemachilus vinciguerrae, Noemacheilus vinciguerrae, Nemacheilus putaoensis

Distribution: Irrawaddy and Salween basins in Myanmar, Irrawaddy basin in China. Possibly the Salween basin in Yunnan, China.

Sexual Dimorphism: No obvious dimorphism, unlike other similar species. Females probably plumper.

Maximum size: 3 inches (8 cm)

Similar to: S. bella, S. mahnerti, S. poculi

Care: Lives in channels with very swift current, over smooth surfaces, prresumably rock. The aquarium should have a good flow rate and be well-oxygenated. Provide piles of large pebbles or slate to create hiding places. The rest of the aquarium base should have smooth rounded pebbles and sand or fine grained gravel with reasonably bright lighting. Please see Hillstream Loaches: Specialists at Life in the Fast Lane for a more detailed explanation.

Feeding: Most foods accepted. Commercial sinking formulations and bottom-dwelling live-foods. Frozen foods such as bloodworm or brine shrimp.

Water parameters: pH: 6.0-7.5 Hardness: Soft-medium Max dh: 12

Temperature: 68ºF to 77 ºF (18-25°C)

Breeding: Not known in aquarium

Notes

Schistura vinciguerrae is highly territorial and should be housed in an aquarium featuring multiple hiding places and decor designed to break line of sight between territories. Do not house with delicate species.

The color pattern is shared with several other Schistura species. Distinguished by the bars in front of dorsal fin, which are conspicuously thinner than those behind, usually united in pairs (or more) at their upper extremity. S. vinciguerrae is distinguished from S. poculi by 9+8 branched caudal rays (versus 8+7), from S. mahnerti and S. bella by the absence of sexual dimorphism (both species have a well developed suborbital flap in males) and by details of the color pattern.

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