The pond loach is a slim, eel-like fish from East Asia that is now an invasive species in several US states. It's said to get restless before storms, which is where the name "weather loach" comes from. It's also called the dojo or Oriental weatherfish.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Long and eel-like, usually 4–8 in (10–20 cm) and up to about 11 in (28 cm); females are generally larger than males. Brown with greenish mottling above and silvery below, with a small downturned mouth ringed by . Aquarium fish may be gold, orange, pink, or albino.
Look-alikes
Kuhli loachPangio kuhlii
Kuhli loaches stay small, maturing at about 4 in (10 cm), and need warm tropical water, while pond loaches grow larger and tolerate cold.
Why they get mixed upBoth are slender, eel-like loaches sold in the aquarium trade, and young fish can look alike.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- ponds
- ditches
- slow, muddy streams
- Range
- Native across East Asia, including Japan. In the US it is established in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington, and has been reported in several other states.
- Preferred conditions
- Lives in shallow, slow water over mud or silt, often among water plants. It handles cold, heat, and low oxygen, and survives droughts by burrowing.
Behavior
- Diet
- Small bottom-dwelling invertebrates and bits of organic debris, such as insect larvae, small crustaceans, and snails.
- Activity
- It gulps air at the surface and absorbs oxygen through its gut, which helps it live in stagnant water.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Threats
- Most US populations started from aquarium releases, with some from fish-farm escapes. In New York it may compete with the native eastern mudminnow for food.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- It's eaten in East Asia, in dishes such as Korean chueo-tang (loach soup) and Japanese dojo nabe. In Hawaii, Asian immigrants probably brought it as food in the 1800s.
More species to explore
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