Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Cobitidae / Pond loach
No federal permit to keepPond loach
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Cobitidae (Spined loaches)
The pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), also known as the Dojo loach, oriental weatherloach or oriental weatherfish, is a freshwater fish in the loach family Cobitidae.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Water pH | 6–8 pH Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement. | 276 |
| Water general hardness | 1–12 dGH Seriously Fish aquarium recommendation; not a wild collection measurement. | 276 |
| Maximum standard length | 280 mm SL Source maximum; not total length or a guaranteed adult size. | 276 |
| Minimum tank base | length: 120 cm; width: 45 cm | 276 |
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.9 in / 15 cm; the largest recorded was 11.0 in).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 41–77°F (range recorded for this species).
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 18 in (roughly 64 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, pH 6–8, 1–12 dGH.
- Difficulty: Not enough data to rate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Not difficult to keep but must be provided with a soft, sandy or fine gravel substrate since some of its time is spent completely buried, or with only eyes protruding.”
- Diet: “Chiefly a predator foraging for insect larvae, small crustaceans and suchlike.”
- Breeding: “Reports of captive breeding are scarce and we've been unable to find one containing any significant detail; presumably the fish are induced to spawn by means of hormones for the trade as they are for scientific research and aquaculture.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Spined loaches
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Spined loaches inhabit freshwater bottoms from tropical Pangio forest streams and swamps to temperate weather-loach streams, wetlands and paddy fields. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Pangio semicincta, provide at least a 60 × 30 cm (24 × 12 in) footprint; adult Misgurnus anguillicaudatus need at least 120 × 45 cm (48 × 18 in).
- Use soft sand for burrowing; coarse gravel can injure fish and inhibit feeding.
- Provide shaded retreats beneath secured wood or smooth rocks, with leaf litter and low-light plants for Pangio.
- Cover the aquarium securely and protect filter intakes against entry by small loaches.
- Use mature biological filtration, gentle circulation and surface agitation rather than strong flow for Pangio and weather loaches.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 70–79°F |
Diet
- Sinking complete foods reaching the bottom.
- Live or frozen Daphnia and Artemia.
- Bloodworms and small worms as part of a varied diet.
Social life
- Keep Pangio in groups of at least five or six with peaceful companions. Weather loaches can be kept singly but appear more active with conspecifics; they may eat eggs, fry or tiny fish.
Health watch
- Skin injuries and feeding impairment from unsuitable burrowing substrate.
- Ammonia-related illness in immature aquaria.
- Nutritional deficiencies if bottom dwellers receive insufficient suitable food.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
They are native to East Asia, but are also popular as an aquarium fish and introduced elsewhere in Asia and to Europe, America and Australia. The alternate name weather loach is shared with several other Cobitidae, including the other members of the genus Misgurnus and the spotted weather loach (Cobitis taenia, commonly known as spined loach).
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Pond loach” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams, lakes, rice paddies, mangroves. Stays near the bottom. Occurs in rivers, lakes and ponds. Also in swamps and ricefields. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 41–77 °F (5–25 °C). |
| Climate | Subtropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 41–77 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 84°F (up to 89°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 28°F (down to 10°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 45–67°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 69–76% on average (driest month about 65%) |
| Rainfall | about 1354 mm a year |
| Winters | Cool to cold winters (lows around 28°F) in much of its native range. Seasonal slowdown may be relevant, but species-specific biology determines whether brumation or hibernation occurs. |
Measured at 446 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), also known as the Dojo loach, oriental weatherloach or oriental weatherfish, is a freshwater fish in the loach family Cobitidae. They are native to East Asia, but are also popular as an aquarium fish and introduced elsewhere in Asia and to Europe, America and Australia. The alternate name weather loach is shared with several other Cobitidae, including the other members of the genus Misgurnus and the spotted weather loach (Cobitis taenia, commonly known as spined loach). — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Male wraps his body around the female and stimulates her to release a cloud of eggs, which the male simultaneously fertilizes. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Pond loaches usually range from 10 to 20 cm in length, although individuals can reach 28 cm in standard length; females are generally larger than males.They also come in a variety of colors, such as pink, orange, albino and gray, and can vary in colour from yellow to olive green, to a common light brown or grey with lighter undersides. Like many other loaches, pond loaches have slender, eel-like body. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Facultative air-breathing; Adults occur in rivers, lakes and ponds. Also in swamps and ricefields (, 119549 ). They prefer muddy bottoms, where they hide in the muck and leaf litter with only their heads sticking outi, They can also be found under mats of honohono ( Commelina diffusa and California grass ( Brachiara nuatica ). — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Maximum recorded lifespan
Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 18 in (about 64 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Isolation, Characterization, and Application of a Bacteriophage Infecting the Fish Pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila Akmal M et al., Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) 2020
- Genetics of the loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus: recent progress and perspective Arai K et al., Folia biologica 2003
- An effective live attenuated vaccine against Aeromonas veronii infection in the loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) Zhang HP et al., Fish & shellfish immunology 2020
- Effects of fasting and environmental factors on appetite regulators in pond loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus Kuhn J et al., Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology 2024
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 25 on PubMed → 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish — pangio semicincta Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — misgurnus anguillicaudatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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