The Burmese Border loach, angelicus loach or polka dot loach, ''Botia kubotai'', is a recently described species that has quickly become a popular

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

for

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

s. In 2002, fish collectors working in western

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

began to expand their search into

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

(

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

) area from the

Three Pagodas Pass Three Pagodas Pass ( Phlone ; , ''Paya Thon Zu Taung Za Lang'', ; , , ) is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), at an elevation of . The pass links the town of Sangkhla Buri in the north of Kanchanab ...

Thai-Myanmar border to look for new fish for the aquarium trade. This is one of several species discovered and explains the origin of the fish's common name: Burmese Border Loach. Its specific epithet honors Katsuma Kubota of an aquarium export company in Thailand who first purchased the catch and sent them out for identification.

Habitat and appearance

The fish, a

bottom feeder A bottom feeder is an aquatic animal that feeds on or near the bottom of a body of water. Biologists often use the terms ''benthos''—particularly for invertebrates such as shellfish, crabs, crayfish, sea anemones, starfish, snails, bristlew ...

, is found in the

Salween River The Salween is a Southeast Asian river, about long, flowing from the Tibetan Plateau south into the Andaman Sea. The Salween flows primarily within southwest China and eastern Myanmar, with a short section forming the border of Myanmar and Tha ...

system which is mostly in Myanmar. It was first discovered in

Ataran River Ataran River () is a river of Myanmar (most of its course) and Thailand (the uppermost part). In Thailand, it is usually known as the Kasat River. It merges into the larger Gyaing River and Salween River near the city of Mawlamyine. A main tribut ...

(known in Thailand as Kasat River), a tributary of Salween River. A population in Thailand was discovered in early 2006 in another tributary of Salween River, Suriya River in

Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary The Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary (, ) is a protected area in Thailand in the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province and the southern part of Tak Province. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1972, and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO ...

.Nonn Panitvong, ''การผจญภัยสุดขอบชายแดน ที่แม่น้ำสุริยะ'' ''(Adventure to the Extreme Border at Suriya River)'', Aqua Vol. 4 No. 43, 15 April - 15 May 2006 It grows as large as 15 cm in length, but most tend to be smaller at around 10 cm. It has gold, black, and grey colors arranged in a pattern that varies greatly depending on the age of the fish. Juvenile fish at about 2.5 cm are very similar to '' Botia histrionica''. It has yellow body with only black vertical bands. Typically around this size grey dots on the black bands together with a middle horizontal bar joining the bands begin to appear. At about 5 cm, the top and bottom part of the vertical bands start to merge, producing a pattern of big yellow ovals along the body. More grey dots continue to appear as fish grows.

In aquarium

This fish, like most other loach species, should be kept in groups when placed in an aquarium. Suitable water parameters are 25 – 30 °C, pH 6.5 to 6.9, dGH 0 to 8.0. Many hiding places should also be provided. Newly purchased, it is a good idea to treat them for internal

parasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...

s, a very common problem for wild-caught bottom feeder fishes. ''Botia kubotai'' is omnivorous and will accept most food types offered to freshwater fish including snails, small shrimp, sinking pellets, blood worms, and black worms.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1766655 Botia Fish of Southeast Asia Fish of Myanmar Fish of Thailand Taxa named by Maurice Kottelat Fish described in 2004

Habitat and appearance

In aquarium

See also

References

External links