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Encyclopedia / Loaches / Dojo loach
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Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Dojo loach

Misgurnus anguillicaudatus · Weather loach, Dojo

Friendly, cool-water.

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28 cmBody length, without tail ✓
18–23 °CTemperature ✓
6.5–8pH ✓
243 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (18–23 °C vs 24–28 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (18–23 °C vs 24–28 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (18–23 °C vs 24–27 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 23 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 22–23 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

174 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–12 dGH
Group size ?3 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ✓10–13 years
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Friendly, cool-water.

Good to know: Banned or regulated in at least seven US states. Never release it into the wild.

Food

Sinking foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature males have larger pectoral fins with a thickened second ray; females are heavier-bodied and a little larger.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

Captive breeding is rarely reported. In spawning the female leads the male into dense plants and he wraps around her as she releases a cloud of eggs, which are scattered and not guarded.

Pairing

Keep a group of 6+; males have longer pectoral fins.

Setup

A large tank or pond with plants and fine gravel.

What starts it

Cooling in winter, then warming in spring.

Eggs

Unmated females hold about 150-18,000 eggs (more in larger fish), and they spawn several times a season. Hatch time not found.

Raising the fry

Infusoria, then baby brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Not cooling them
  • Poor water quality
  • Leaving eggs with adults
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionEast Asia – China, Korea, Japan & Russian Far East
Rivers and lakesYangtze, Amur and Japanese rivers
HabitatMuddy ponds, rice fields and ditches
Native rangeAbout 2,000 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the dojo loach

The name 'weather loach' comes from a reported sensitivity to changes in air pressure before storms. It has become established outside its native range, including in Australia, Europe and the US, and possession, trade or transport is regulated in at least seven US states.

Theodore Cantor described the dojo loach in 1842 from China. It is called the weather loach because it often becomes restless before storms, likely reacting to changing air pressure. It is also eaten widely in East Asia, and introduced populations now live in other parts of the world.

First described by Theodore E. Cantor in 1842.

  • It becomes restless when air pressure changes.
  • It can breathe air through its gut.
  • It burrows in mud.

Sources

17 facts checked with sources