Clown loaches have spines?

[victimizati0n]

All loaches possess very sharp, bony spines behind their eyes that they can unfold and use to warn off other fish (and the occasional fish keeper who insists on taking them to shows).

I was on the Loaches Online website, and a person said that it's clown loach had spikes sticking out of them:

I came back about 15 minutes later and he was dead with a boney spike about 1/3" long sticking out of the left side of his head, right near the eye. I have no idea what that is, or where it came from. There is nothing in the tank he could have jabbed himself on, and it looks like whatever it was went out rather than going into his skin...I'm guessing that's what the problem is, but what is it???

And the next post said:

Clown loaches have spines on the sides of their heads. They extend them when in distress so it's not a surprise that in its last horrified moments of its life it would do that.

Does anyone have a picture of this? I never knew this could happen, and I'm kinda interesed on what it looks like/why it happens.

Thanks!

 

[Leopardess]

I believe it is called a sub-ocular (meaning below the eye) bifid spine.

http://centralpets.com/pages/critterpages/fish/freshwater_fish/FWF4583.shtml :

"Also, Clown Loaches have a sub-ocular spine the protrudes from beneath the eye, therefore when using a net to catch a Clown Loach, you should be careful not to allow this spine to caught on the net."

http://www.aqualink.com/columns/k-loach1.html :

"A word of caution when purchasing these fish is to make sure that they are double bagged for the trip home. Being from the genus Botia these fish have a movable spine under each eye that is razor sharp. Care should also be taken when netting because if the spine should become entangled in the net, the fish can be injured. "

http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_sidthimunki.html :

"The spines in front of the eyes, which occur in all loaches, are raised when the fish is excited or threatened. The spines may get caught in the meshees of a net when the fish is being moved form one tank to another. It is important to disentangle the fish very gently. Also, take great care to avoid the sharp spines, which can cause painful wounds to the hands."

 

[victimizati0n]

wait, i dont think they were talking about that one, because he said he never noticed it before, and 1/3 of an inch is a little big for those regular spines

 

[Fruitbat]

victimizati0n...

I'd say that the spines that Leopardess posted about are EXACTLY what your friend was talking about. The spines on loaches can be rather formidable. It is not at all uncommon for loaches in their death throes to extend these spines (which most aquarists never see).

 

[Leopardess]

If it were a big fish, like a full grown clown, then they could be. Also, I have questions as to if they were really 1/3". They are, to a degree, always visible. I can see them on my yoyos.

Thats the only spine they have under their eye. Take it or leave it

 

[victimizati0n]

Humm, I sometimes saw the spines on my clown extended (or at least i think)

 

[420Loach]

ever see how clown loaches(most botias in fact) fight when establishing the pecking order? i think they use them in the little spin tango they do as well as to ward off other fish.

ive been jabbed in the hand alot(mostly picking up a loach that jumps out of the net/tank, hurts like a s.o.b. on the bigger loaches.

 

[victimizati0n]

wow, they dont seem like they would be sharp....

Clown loaches have to be the best fish ever!

 

[catfishmike]

i have had the pleasure of a loach stab,by a dead one no less!it's not pleasnt as loach said.mine hurt for two days.

 

[420Loach]

yup, theyve never drawn blood, but its like getting hit with a lancet. ill bet it could do some damage to another loach!

 

[catfishmike]

it's just like a doctors needle,so sharp you hardly feel the prick.it's pulling it out that hurts.

 

[SoulFish]

I have also been stabbed by loaches, no fun, but id take it any day over a bushy nosed pleco stab, loaches have 1 or 2 spikes, bushynosed have a whole bed of needles, every time i net one i ruin the net cause i have to cut the bushynosed out

heres a vidoe of a loach flashing his spines
http://www.loaches.com/audio_video/spine_flash.html

 

[420Loach]

cool video soulfish. i believe ya on the bushynose pleco hehehe. my cousin had one before and got stuck by it when he was doing a waterchange. his son learned a few new words that day hehehe.

 

[Igor The Cat]

lol

-Java

 

[victimizati0n]

Oh crap! I thought you were talking about the little nose things, that's pretty cool.

 

[Daemonfly]

My yoyos show theirs a lot when they "yawn"

 

[victimizati0n]

http://www.loaches.com/audio_video/tankbert1.avi


http://www.loaches.com/audio_video/tankbert2.avi

Please watch those videos, and tell me why the clown loaches fins are rounded like that, it doesnt look normal, and i really hope they wernt snipped or anything like that. The only thing that I will accept is if they just got a disease (finrot) and they rotted, and are growing back.