''Gyrinocheilus aymonieri'' is a

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

fish native to large parts of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. It is of interest as a local food source and for the aquarium trade. Its common names include honey sucker, sucking loach and Chinese algae eater. ''G. aymonieri'' is found in the

Chao Phraya The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. E ...

basin, northern

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , ...

basin (in

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

province in China,

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

Mae Klong The Mae Klong (, , ), sometimes spelled Mae Khlong or Meklong, is a river in western Thailand. The river begins at the confluence of the Khwae Noi (Khwae Sai Yok) and the Khwae Yai River (Khwae Si Sawat) in Kanchanaburi, it passes Ratchaburi ...

basin and the

Xe Bang Fai River The Xe Bang Fai River (''Nam Xebangfai'') is a river in Laos. It originates in the Annamite Range The Annamite Range or the Annamese Mountains (french: Chaîne annamitique; lo, ພູ ຫລວງ ''Phou Luang''; vi, Dãy (núi) Trường ...

. It is most often seen in large rivers, occasionally entering flooded fields. The fish spends most of its time on flat surfaces, such as rocks, in flowing water, using its unusually formed inferior mouth to attach itself to rocks in stronger flows. The fish are sold in local markets as a food source and small fish are used in preparation of ''

prahok ''Prahok'' (; km, ប្រហុក, prâhŏk, ) is a salted and fermented fish paste (usually of mudfish) used in Cambodian cuisine as a seasoning or a condiment. It originated as a way of preserving fish during the months when fresh fish ...

''.

Physical description

''G. aymonieri'' has been recorded as reaching at least SL and is the only species in the genus to have 9 branched dorsal rays and 36–40 lateral line scales. The mouth is inferior with a special "sucker" modification which allows the fish to attach itself to smooth surfaces. No barbells are present. Wild type colour varies from pale grey to olive, with darker markings along the lateral line which vary from a solid stripe with alternating higher and lower extensions to uneven dots. The belly is usually paler than the base colour. Some darker markings may also be observed along the back and on the caudal fin, but no dark markings occur on the pelvic and anal fins.

Name

The scientific name commemorates the French linguist and explorer

Étienne Aymonier Étienne François Aymonier (26 February 1844 – 21 January 1929) was a French linguist and explorer. He was the first archaeologist to systematically survey the ruins of the Khmer empire in today's Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and southern Vietn ...

In aquaria

''G. aymonieri'' is similar in colouration to a number of other species which are commonly available in the aquarium trade, such as ''

Crossocheilus oblongus The Siamese algae-eater (''Crossocheilus oblongus'') is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family, Cyprinidae. This bottom-dwelling tropical fish is found in mainland Southeast Asia, including the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins as well a ...

'', '' Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus'', and ''

Garra cambodgiensis The Cambodian logsucker (''Garra cambodgiensis''), also known as stonelapping minnow or false Siamese algae eater, is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Garra''. It lives in Southeast Asia. Description The Cambodian logsucker has a broa ...

'', and is sometimes misidentified as one of these species. It is available in a number of colour morphs, including wild type, gold, marble,

albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...

, and

leucistic Leucism () is a wide variety of conditions that result in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—causing white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales, or cuticles, but not the eyes. It is occasionally spelled ' ...

forms. The species does not breed readily in home aquaria, although fry are occasionally reported as being found in overgrown aquaria. At this time, no definitive spawning triggers are known. Sexing is difficult, although mature males may develop breeding tubercles on their noses, while females become plumper. ''G. aymonieri'' fish are often bought as algae eaters because they will readily eat algae. However, as they grow older they desire more meat in their diet. If deprived of proper forage, they may feed off of the body slime on other fish, making them more prone to infection and stress. The other species in the genus, '' Gyrinocheilus pennocki'' and the '' Gyrinocheilus pustulosus'', are rarely seen in the aquarium trade.

References

*Sunder Lal Hora, 1935. "A Note on the Systematic Position of Psilorhynchus aymonieri Tirant from Cambodia". Records from the Indian Museum ,Vol. XXXVII, P. 459-461. http://recordsofzsi.com/index.php/zsoi/article/view/162965/112366 {{Taxonbar, from=Q632110 Gyrinocheilidae Fish of the Mekong Basin Fish of Cambodia Freshwater fish of China Fish of Laos Freshwater fish of Malaysia Fish of Thailand Fish of Vietnam Fish described in 1883 Taxa named by Gilbert Tirant