Stone loach

Loach ( Barbatula barbatula )

The stone loach ( Barbatula barbatula, Syn: Noemacheilus barbatulus ), often referred to as short or stone loach Loach, is a European fish. He was put in the Cichlidae Fam until about 1980 - then you came to the realization that he must be more closely related to the Balitoridae that do not occur elsewhere in Europe.

Features

The loach is a bottom fish. The body has a rounded shape and a light gray color with a slightly darker spots. It does not have to very small scales, but a thick mucous membrane, through which it can also cover a part of the oxygen demand as the loach. It also has the ability of the intestine breathing. In the mouth it has six barbels. Your height is between 8 and 12 cm, maximum 16 cm. The spawning season extends from March to May this be 2000 to 3000 eggs stored with a size of about 1 mm. Other sources, however, of only 400 eggs. Sexual maturity occurs after 1-2 years. The loach can be up to 7 years old.

Distribution and habitat

It inhabits shallow, fast flowing streams and rivers are most comfortable with gravelly to sandy subsoil. They inhabited stationary certain sections in which she is staying hidden during the day under rocks or roots. Rare is the stone loach and look for the shore regions of clear lakes. Because of the high nutritional value of the stone loach has been known for several decades in Central and Eastern Europe as a food fish.

It is less sensitive than other small fish species and, therefore, occurs also in the waters of kindness 2-3. In coarser - water contamination, the loach will soon be gone - but it is for an improvement in water quality also one of the first fish that inhabit the waters again. It can advance their population to about 1.5 km per year.

Way of life

The nocturnal loach ransacked the gravel or sand for something to eat. She studied predominantly on organic waste, insect larvae, small crustaceans, leeches and snails. Also fish spawning will not despise.

Others

The name loach originates from the Middle High German, there is " Schmerl " for greasy. This is probably due to the slimy skin - barbatula (Latin ) means " the little Bebartete " (from barba, " beard ").; the old name Nemachilus or (partly disfigured, but sometimes real ) Noemacheilus meant (from the Griech. ) " thread lip ".