Purple Imperial Loach (Leptobotia taeniops)

A rare, cryptic loach found in the fast-moving rocky stretches of the Yangtze River in China, the Purple Imperial Loach or Purple Emperor Botia is a smaller growing and strikingly marked relative of the more well known Royal Clown Loach (L. elongata). Like its larger relative, it is a fast and agile swimmer, typically found darting among rocks in its native habitat where it feeds on snails, crustaceans, insects, and smaller fish. In the aquarium, they prefer cooler, well-oxygenated water with plenty of current and lots of cover in the form of rocks or caves. This species can be quite variable in color, with some specimens developing a mottled or reticulated pattern as they reach adult size.