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Schistura deansmarti

Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Nemacheilidae (Stone loaches)

Schistura deansmarti is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

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FamilyStone loaches

Adult lengthup to 4.1 in

WaterFreshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 4.1 in / 10.47 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.

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

Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Diet: “Unconfirmed but likely to consist largely of benthic invertebrates and zooplankton.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Stone loaches

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Eurasian stone loaches include oxygen-rich stream dwellers such as Schistura and small Vietnamese river species such as the hovering zebra loach. [fg157-sumo, fg157-hover]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Level 3 reflects water-quality and compatibility demands. Water range is for S. balteata; hovering zebra loaches accept 71.6–80.6°F and are called Micronemacheilus cruciatus in the source. [fg157-sumo, fg157-hover] Do not apply the tropical Schistura setup automatically to Hedinichthys, Barbatula, Lefua, Homatula or S. fasciolata: the cited protocols do not establish their temperature or flow needs.

Housing & setup

For Schistura balteata groups use a floor at least 90 × 30 cm (36 × 12 in).
Build a stream layout with sand, rounded rocks and driftwood forming numerous caves and broken sight lines.
Use strong filtration, aeration and some flow for Schistura; change 30–50% of water weekly.
For hovering zebra loaches use at least 60 × 30 cm (24 × 12 in), dense plants and well-oxygenated but non-turbulent water.
Introduce hovering zebra loaches only to a biologically mature aquarium; pH 6.0–7.5 and hardness 2–12 dGH suit both profiled species.

Sources 870 871 872

Climate & lighting

Water

71.6–78.8°F

Sources 870 871 872

Diet

Small live or frozen Daphnia and Artemia.
Bloodworms for Schistura.
Moina, microworms and Artemia nauplii for hovering zebra loaches.
Appropriately sized dried foods alongside invertebrates, not as the sole Schistura diet.

Sources 870 871 872

Social life

Schistura defend individual caves and can harass placid bottom dwellers; groups require territories. Hovering zebra loaches are peaceful and need at least 8–10 companions.

Sources 870 871 872

Health watch

Territorial fin injuries in poorly structured Schistura tanks.
Freshwater ich, a general aquarium risk.
Stress-associated bacterial infections.

Sources 870 871 872

Understanding the animal

This species is part of a group that hobbyists, aviculturists or zoos keep widely (Stone loaches), so it's included for completeness. It may be rare in captivity itself, or not kept at all. Use the group guide as a starting point and look for species-specific advice from experienced keepers.

About this animal

It is found in cave streams in a karst landscape in the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park of Phitsanulok Province where it lives mainly on the stream beds and feeds on organic material and micro-organisms. The specific name honors the British speleologist who collected the original specimens and who works for the conservation of caves in Thailand.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Schistura deansmarti” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

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. Stays near the bottom. Inhabits cave with only stagnant water in the dry season and with reportedly only moderate flow in the rainy season. Occurs approximately 200 m from the entrance. Mostly found resting on the bottom, sometimes free swimming, near crevices where they hide if chased.
Water it lives in	Freshwater.
Climate	Tropical climate.

FishBase species summary: Schistura deansmarti

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	Schistura deansmarti is a species of ray-finned fish in the stone loach genus Schistura. It is found in cave streams in a karst landscape in the Thung Salaeng Luang National Park of Phitsanulok Province where it lives mainly on the stream beds and feeds on organic material and micro-organisms. The specific name honors the British speleologist who collected the original specimens and who works for the conservation of caves in Thailand. — 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
Biology	Inhabits cave with only stagnant water in the dry season and with reportedly only moderate flow in the rainy season. Occurs approximately 200 m from the entrance. Mostly found resting on the bottom, sometimes free swimming, near crevices where they hide if chased. — FishBase

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources4.1in

FishBase 1644.1

Seriously Fish species profiles 1674.1

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.

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: Schistura balteata Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Seriously Fish: Micronemacheilus cruciatus (formerly Yunnanilus cruciatus) 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.

Schistura deansmarti

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Care guide

Species care notes

Stone loaches

Housing & setup

Climate & lighting

Diet

Social life

Health watch

Understanding the animal

About this animal

In the wild

From the sources

Data and studies

The numbers

Adult length

Sources for this sheet

More stone loaches

Dwarf Zipper Loach

Grey-banded loach

Hovering Zebra Loach

Mesonoemacheilus herrei

Mottled loach

Nemacheilus anguilla