Parabotia fasciata
SynonymsTop ↑
Parabotia fasciatus Dabry de Thiersant 1872; Nemachilus xanthi Günther, 1888; Botia xanthi (Günther 1888); Botia multifasciata Regan, 1905; Leptobotia intermedia Mori, 1929; Leptobotia hopeiensis Shaw & Tchang, 1931; Botia kwangsiensis Fang, 1936; Botia wui Chang, 1944
Classification
Order: Cypriniformes Family: Botiidae
Distribution
Described from the Yangtze River, China with later records suggesting it may be restricted to the Yuan and Jialing tributary drainages within that system.
It’s also been recorded from much of the Pearl (also known as Zhu Jiang) River watershed in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces including its major tributaries the West (Xi), North (Bei) and East (Dong) rivers, and may therefore also range into Yunnan, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces.
A similar-looking species of unconfirmed identity has been collected in northern Vietnam (Kottelat, 2001).
Habitat
Unconfirmed but presumably a riverine loach favouring clear, well-oxygenated, running water with substrates of rocks and/or gravel.
Other members of the genus are present in bedrock and boulder-filled headwater streams as well as larger, turbid river channels depending on the time of year.
Maximum Standard Length
120 – 150 mm.
Aquarium SizeTop ↑
An aquarium with a base measuring 120 ∗ 45 cm or similar should be the minimum considered.
Maintenance
Best maintained in a set-up designed to resemble a flowing stream with a substrate of variably-sized rocks, gravel and some water-worn boulders.
This can be further furnished with driftwood roots and branches arranged to form some shaded spots while lengths of PVC piping or similar can be used to provide additional cover. Hardy plants such as Microsorum, Bolbitis or Anubias spp. can be grown attached to the décor.
Like many fishes that naturally inhabit running waters it’s intolerant to the accumulation of organic wastes and requires spotless water at all times in order to thrive.
It also does best if there is a high level of dissolved oxygen and a decent level of water movement in the tank so external filters, powerheads, etc., should be employed in order to obtain the desired effect.
As stable water conditions are obligatory for its well-being this fish should never be added to biologically-immature aquaria.
Water Conditions
Temperature: 20 – 24 °C
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Hardness: 90 – 357 ppm
Diet
Likely to be an opportunistic, benthic predator feeding on insects, crustaceans and perhaps fish fry in nature.
Captive specimens aren’t fussy but should be offered a varied diet comprising live or frozen bloodworm, Tubifex, chopped shellfish, earthworms and good quality, sinking dried foods.
Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑
Not especially aggressive but much smaller fishes might be intimidated by its size and sometimes very active behaviour. Slow-moving, long-finned species such as fancy bettas or guppies and many cichlids should also be avoided as trailing fins may be nipped at.
More-suitable tankmates include peaceful, open water-dwellng cyprinids, and it can also be maintained alongside other Chinese botiids including Leptobotia and Sinibotia spp., as well as Botia spp. from India and Myanmar.
Some cobitid and nemacheilid loaches are also possibilities as are members of Epalzeorhynchos, Crossocheilus, and Garra plus many catfishes. As always, thorough research prior to selecting a community of fishes is the best way to avoid problems.
Parabotia spp. are generally quite peaceful with conspecifics and as with other botiids seem to appreciate being maintained in a group, meaning that 3-4 specimens should ideally be the minimum purchase.
Sexual Dimorphism
Sexually-mature females should be heavier-bodied than males.
Reproduction
Unrecorded in aquaria, but presumably a seasonal, perhaps migratory, spawner in nature.
NotesTop ↑
P. fasciata is rarely seen in the trade and is typically available only as bycatch among shipments of Sinibotia spp., particularly S. robusta. According to current classification numerous species from several genera are considered synonymous with it.
It can be told apart from the similar-looking P. bimaculata by presence of a single (vs. two) dark spots at the caudal-fin base and from P. parva by presence of a single dark spot (vs. thin vertical bar) at the caudal-fin base.
Naseka & Bogutskaya (2004) state it can be differentiated from P. mantschurica by possession of 12-14 thin, regular dark stripes on the dorsal surface, flanks and belly, narrower than the spaces between (vs. dark body stripes widening on the dorsal surface, where they’re broader than the spaces between).
P. lijiangensis is also very similar, sharing the dark caudal spot and basic patterning, but only has 10-13 body stripes with other defining characters including two dark bars on the head, two rows of greyish spots in the dorsal fin, 3-4 dark bands on the caudal-fin lobes, two bands in the anal-fin (one of which is subterminal) and two indistinct bars on the dorsal surface of the ventral fins.
The genus Parabotia was described in 1872 and remained valid until 1936 when Fang synonymised it with Hymenophysa. It was reestablished by Chen (1980) and has been accepted since with Nalbant (2002) listing the defining characters as: body slimmer than in Leptobotia; suborbital spine bifurcated (divided in two); cheeks scaled; body with vertical stripes; a black spot at the base of the caudal-fin.
In their definition Naseka & Bogutskaya (2004) list the characters above plus: relatively slim caudal peduncle (depth fitting 1.5-1.6 times in its length); pelvic-fin reaching midway between pelvic-fin origin and anal-fin origin; anus located distinctly posterior to dorsal-fin base and relatively closer to anal-fin base (midway between tip of pelvic-fin and anal-fin origin); dark body stripes relatively thin and numerous.
Modern studies have resulted in various changes to the taxonomy of both the family Botiidae and its constituent genera although Parabotia has been mostly unaffected.
It’s been widely considered a genetically distinct grouping since Nalbant (2002), having previously been considered a subfamily (Botiinae) of the family Cobitidae. Nalbant also moved some previous members of Botia into the new genus Yasuhikotakia based on a number of morphological characters.
Later Kottelat (2004) made further modifications to the taxonomy, raising Chromobotia for B. macracanthus and confirming that species previously included in the genus Hymenophysa should instead be referred to Syncrossus.
The former alteration was based on colour pattern plus some morphological characters and the latter because Hymenophysa not only represents a spelling mistake (McClelland’s original spelling was Hymenphysa) but is a junior synonym of Botia.
More recently Kottelat (2012) erected the genus Ambastaia to accommodate A.nigrolineata and A. sidthimunki, two former members of both Botia and Yasuhikotakia.
As a result of these works the family Botiidae is thus divided into two tribes within which Botia appears to be the most basal lineage:
Tribe Leptobotiini – Leptobotia, Parabotia, Sinibotia.
Tribe Botiini – Ambastaia, Botia, Chromobotia, Syncrossus, Yasuhikotakia.
Phylogenetic studies by Tang et al. (2005) and Šlechtová et al. (2006) have largely confirmed this system to be correct although the latter disagreed with the placement of Sinibotia, finding it to be more closely related to the tribe Botiini.
Ambastaia nigrolineata and A. sidthimunki were found to be more closely-related to both Sinibotia and Syncrossus than Yasuhikotakia, despite being considered members of the latter at the time. Šlechtová et al. also proposed the use of subfamily names under the following system:
Subfamily Leptobotiinae – Leptobotia, Parabotia.
Subfamily Botiinae – Botia, Chromobotia, Sinibotia, Syncrossus, Yasuhikotakia.
Within these Botia appears to be the basal, i.e., most ancient, lineage and in a more-detailed phylogenetic analysis Šlechtová et al. (2007) confirmed the validity of the family Botiidae with the genera listed above as members rather then being grouped into subfamilies. This more recent, simpler system is the one we currently follow here on SF.
Parabotia spp. also possess sharp, motile, sub-ocular spines which are normally concealed within a pouch of skin but erected when an individual is stressed, e.g., if removed from the water. Care is therefore necessary as these can become entangled in aquarium nets and those of larger specimens can break human skin.
Botiids are also susceptible to a condition commonly referred to as ‘skinny disease’ and characterised by a loss of weight. This is especially common in newly-imported specimens and is thought to be caused by a species of the flagellate genus Spironucleus.
It’s treatable although the recommended medication varies depending on country. Hobbyists in the UK tend to use the antibiotic Levamisole and those in the United States Fenbendazole (aka Panacur).
References
- Chen, J.-X., 1980 - Zoological Research 1(1): 3-26
A study on the classification of the botoid fishes of China. - Kottelat, M., 2001 - Environment and Social Development Unit, East Asia and Pacific Region. The World Bank.: i-iii + 1-123
Freshwater fishes of northern Vietnam. A preliminary check-list of the fishes known or expected to occur in northern Vietnam with comments on systematics and nomenclature. - Kottelat, M., 2004 - Zootaxa 401: 1-18
Botia kubotai, a new species of loach (Teleostei: Cobitidae) from the ataran River basin (Myanmar), with comments on botiinae nomenclature and diagnosis of a new genus. - Kottelat, M., 2012 - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 26: 1-199
Conspectus cobitidum: an inventory of the loaches of the world (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cobitoidei). - Nalbant, T. T., 2002 - Travaux du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle 'Grigore Antipa' 44: 309-333
Sixty million years of evolution. Part one: family Botiidae (Pisces: Ostariophysi: Cobitoidea). - Nalbant, T. T., 2004 - Travaux du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle 'Grigore Antipa' 47: 269-277
Hymenphysa, Hymenophysa, Syncrossus, Chromobotia and other problems in the systematics of Botiidae. A reply to Maurice Kottelat. - Naseka, A. M. and N. G. Bogutskaya, 2004 - Zoosystematica Rossica 12: 279-290
Contribution to taxonomy and nomenclature of freshwater fishes of the Amur drainage area and the Far East (Pisces, Osteichthyes). - Tang, Q., H. Liu, R. Mayden and B. Xiong, 2006 - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39(2): 347-357
Comparison of evolutionary rates in the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene and control region and their implications for phylogeny of the Cobitoidea (Teleostei: Cypriniformes). - Šlechtová, V., J. Bohlen and H. H. Tan, 2007 - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44(3): 1358-1365
Families of Cobitoidea (Teleostei; Cypriniformes) as revealed from nuclear genetic data and the position of the mysterious genera Barbucca, Psilorhynchus, Serpenticobitis and Vaillantella.
