Jelly Bean Tetra - Ladigesia roloffi - Federation of British Aquatic ...

KNOW YOUR FISH
HONG KONG PLEC ((Gaassttrromyyzzon punccttul laattuss))
This small flat fish is often named as the Hillstream Loach, of the Family
Balitoridae, not only differs from, but is nothing like any of the other
Loaches within this Family.
Though these fish bear a superficial resemblance to the South American
Loricariidae catfish, they do not appear in the order of Siluriformes but to
the nearest I can find, being the Suborder Cyprinoidei, Homatopteridae
which live in the hill streams of India, Southern China, Malaya and
Indonesia.
Except for the tail, the underside of an Homatopteriod is flat and smooth,
much of this surface, forms a sucker that is provided by the lateral
extensions of the paired fins.
The forward pectoral rays and most of the
pelvic rays are thick and flat so they are
fashioned below into adhesive pads. Using
the sucker to cling and creep in fast flowing
waters, they move slowly over the surfaces
of rounded boulders and stones whilst
grazing on algae covering them, almost
becoming a fishy form of limpet.
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