Species learning profile
Clown loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) is a freshwater fish associated with river habitat in Southeast Asia. A movable spine beneath each eye can lock outward for defense.
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At a glance
- Água
- Água doce
- Habitat
- Rio
- Comprimento máximo
- 31 cm
- Distribuição
- Southeast Asia
- Família
- Botiidae
- Ordem
- Cypriniformes
Observe
How to identify Clown loach
- A movable spine beneath each eye can lock outward for defense.
- Guide context: river habitat in Southeast Asia.
- Reported maximum length: 31 cm — up to about the length of a guitar. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.
Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.
Place and pattern
Where it lives—and how it behaves
Habitat and range
This species is associated with river habitat across Southeast Asia. Flow, seasonal floods, connected side channels, and access to spawning reaches all shape its river habitat.
Behavior
Social and most active around dusk
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
Snails, worms, insects, and plant matter.
Ecological role
Controls snails and recycles bottom food.
Remember
One fact worth keeping
Clown loach pode chegar a cerca de 31 cm e costuma viver perto de Rio.
Think like a conservationist
A conservation lens
River fish depend on connected water. Dams, blocked migrations, pollution, and altered flow can matter even when the channel still looks wet.
This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.
Recall
Quick knowledge check
Which habitat is most closely associated with Clown loach in this guide?
Keep exploring
References and further reading
Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.
Make connections