Fauna
Fish · GBIF taxon 2367815

Clown Loach

Chromobotia macracanthus

Also known as Tiger Botia

Clown loaches are gregarious bottom-dwellers famous for their bold orange and black bands, playful schooling dynamics, and unusual habit of resting motionless on their sides. They produce audible clicking sounds by grinding their pharyngeal teeth or snapping subocular spines during feeding bouts and social disputes. In their native river basins, adult schools migrate upstream into temporarily flooded forests each rainy season to spawn.

FreshwaterSchoolingBottom-Dweller
Clown Loach reference
Licensed reference(c) Citron, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Freshwater Snails
  • Chironomid Larvae
  • Tubifex Worms
Predators
  • Striped Snakehead
  • Asian Water Monitor
  • Smooth-coated Otter
ThreatsOvercollection for the ornamental fish trade, river damming, and peatland deforestation
HabitatsMain river channels, slow-moving tributaries, and inundated floodplain forests
Life span15–25 years
Classification
  1. OrderCypriniformes
  2. FamilyCobitidae
  3. GenusChromobotia
  4. SpeciesChromobotia macracanthus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Acoustic Activity: Listen closely near quiet waters, as feeding schools emit sharp, audible clicks.
  • Resting Posture: Do not disturb individuals lying flat on their sides, as this is normal resting posture.
Related species
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