L. bleekeri is most-easily distinguished from the congener L. setigerum, with which it is frequently confused, by absence (vs. presence) of a series of black spots on the lateral line scales.

Lobocheilos species are specialised grazers of periphyton, benthic algae, and other organisms which grow attached to rocks and other solid surfaces, and they typically leave visible scrape marks in places where they have been feeding.

They are by no means herbivorous and should be offered meaty foods such as live or frozen chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, Artemia, chopped prawn, etc., along with good quality, sinking dried products, at lea…

The majority of Lobocheilos species are endemic to the Greater Sunda Islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and Java, and are uncommon in the aquarium trade, but the widespread Indochinese taxa L. melanotaenia and L. rhabdoura are available on a sporadic basis.

L. melanotaenia can be distinguished from L. rhabdoura by the following comb…

G. siamensis can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: possession of 5½ lateral line scales; body relatively deep, depth fits 3.2-3.4 times in SL; head large and broad, width fits 5.5-6.7 times in SL; snout not or only weakly projecting; body plain silver in colour with no dark marking on caudal peduncle.

G. ornatapinnis can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: head small; snout relatively short and blunt; caudal peduncle very deep; pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins usually reddish-orange or rose-tinted; pelvic and anal fins often with white tips; barbels completely absent.

G. lobatus can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: possession of 32-33 + 2-3 lateral line scales; 5½ scale rows between lateral line and base of dorsal-fin; body relatively slender, depth fits 3.7-4.0 times in SL; snout often projecting strongly; body plain silver in colour.

Recorded from the middle to lower Mekong river basin in southern China (Yiunnan province), Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, plus the Chao Phraya watershed in central Thailand.

Type locality is ‘Thailand: Lam Ton Lang, a tributary of Menam Sak [Mae Nam Pa Sak; Ban Lam Thong Lang, village northwest of Pakjong’.

Native to the Mekong River drainage in Laos (where Vientiane province represents the upper limit of its range), Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and the Tapi, Chao Phraya, and Mae Klong systems in Thailand.

Type locality is ’22 kilometers upstream from Phnom Penh, Tonle Sap River, Kandal Province, Cambodia’.

Considered synonymous with the congener L. laubuca for a number of years, thus reports of that species from anywhere in Indochina actually refer to the current concept of L. siamensis.

Given the distribution of L. siamensis, it seems likely that many of the fish entering the aquarium trade are also this species and not L. laubuca. The two species can be distinguished by…

This species is also known as ‘leaping barb’ and was once quite common in the ornamental trade but is now seldom seen.

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following characters: bright blue spot on top of head; series of 4-5 short faint bars on anterior portion of body; 19-23½ branched anal-fin rays; body depth fits 2.1-2.9 times in SL.