{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = Yasuhikotakia_sidthimunki.jpg | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref =<ref name=iucnredlist>{{cite iucn|author=Vidthayanon, C.|year=2011|title=''Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki''|article-number=e.T2953A9501746|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T2953A9501746.en|access-date=21 August 2023}}</ref> | taxon = Ambastaia sidthimunki | authority = (Klausewitz, 1959) | synonyms = {{Specieslist | Botia sidthimunki | Klausewitz, 1959 | Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki | (Klausewitz, 1959) }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Ambastaia|sidthimunki|month=October|year=2024}}</ref> }}
The '''dwarf loach''', '''ladderback loach''', '''pygmy loach''', '''chain loach''' or '''chain botia'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://home.ptd.net/~jdietsch/bname.html |title=The CassiDietsch Zoo Loach Name Game<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2006-10-04 |archive-date=2016-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606204215/http://home.ptd.net/~jdietsch/bname.html }}</ref> ('''''Ambastaia sidthimunki''''')<ref>Kottelat, M. (2012): [http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/s26/Conspectus_cobitidum.pdf Conspectus cobitidum: an inventory of the loaches of the world (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cobitoidei).] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211134858/http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/s26/Conspectus_cobitidum.pdf |date=February 11, 2013 }} ''The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Suppl. No. 26: 1–199.''</ref> is a freshwater fish belonging to the family Botiidae. Formerly included in the genus ''Yasuhikotakia'', it is frequently seen in the aquarium trade, the product of captive breeding.
This endangered species is endemic to the Mae Klong basin (including Khwae Noi River) in Thailand, and the Ataran River on the Thai-Myanmar border.<ref name=SeriouslyFish>SeriouslyFish: ''[http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/ambastaia-sidthimunki/ Ambastaia sidthimunki.]'' Retrieved 6 June 2014.</ref> Records from the Mekong basin are misidentifications of the very similar and closely related ''A. nigrolineata''.<ref name=SeriouslyFish/>
==Size and habitat== The dwarf loach can grow up to {{convert|6|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_sidthimunki.html |title=Dwarf Loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki) — Loaches Online<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2004-12-01 |archive-date=2008-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705122059/http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_sidthimunki.html }}</ref> It prefers water with temperature {{convert|25|-|30|C|F}}, pH 6.5 to 6.9 dGH to 8.0. It is omnivorous, with a diet including live crustaceans, insects, snails, etc.
The dwarf loach is found in the Mae Klong River and the Khwae Noi River in western Thailand. This species is endangered and is a protected species in Thailand. It was thought to be extinct in the wild until recently rediscovered in Sangkhla Buri. While they disappeared from the wild, it remained in the aquarium trade because of artificial breeding by private fish farms for over three decades.
The fish was discovered by Somphong Lekaree (สมพงษ์ เล็กอารีย์) and Damri Sukaram (ดำริ สุขอร่าม) in 1959. Lekaree was an aquarium fish exporter while Sukaram was a fisherman for aquarium trade.<ref name=j>Kittipong Jaruthanin (story) and Kamphol Udomritthiruj (photo), ตามรอย... "หมูอารีย์" สัตว์สงวนแห่งสยาม (Following the trail of... "Dwarf Loach" protected fauna of Siam), Fish Zone, Vol. 3 Issue 24 (15 May - 15 June 2002) {{in lang|th}}</ref>
The specific epithet of this fish honors Aree Sidthimunk ({{langx|th|อารีย์ สิทธิมังค์}}), a researcher at Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture.<ref name=j/>
==Related species== [[Image:Yasuhikotakia nigrolineata.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''Ambastaia nigrolineata'' at about 7cm SL]] The dwarf loach closely resembles ''Ambastaia nigrolineata'', another Thai protected species, especially when the fish is fully grown. The difference is easily seen when the fish is still small. Juveniles of ''A. sidthimunki'' have dotted patterns while ''A. nigrolineata'' have horizontal lines on them. Furthermore, the chain pattern of ''A. sidthimunki'' develops in fish at a smaller size.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041204100113/http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/nigrolineata_vs_sidthimunki.html Loaches Online - Botia sidthimunkis vs Botia cf. nigrolineatas] (Archived 4 December 2004 at web.archive.org)</ref>
==See also== * List of freshwater aquarium fish species
==References== {{Reflist}} * {{FishBase_species_alt|ID=10910|taxon=Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki|year=2004|month=October}} * {{ITIS |id=687832 |taxon=Botia sidthimunki |accessdate=9 October 2007}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050308032542/http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_sidthimunki.html Loaches Online - Botia sidthimunki] (Archived 8 March 2005 at web.archive.org)
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q28656882|from2=Q244314}}
Category:Ambastaia Category:Fish of Southeast Asia Category:Fish of Thailand Category:Taxa named by Wolfgang Klausewitz Category:Fish described in 1959 Category:Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN <!-- Ambastaia sidthimunki --> Category:Endemic fauna of Thailand