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Encyclopedia / Algae Eaters / Spotted algae eater
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Spotted algae eater

Gyrinocheilus pennocki · Pennocki, Leopard algae eater, Spotted chinese algae eater, Gyrinocheilus pennocki

Territorial and can sucker onto slow-bodied fish.

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20 cmBody length, without tail ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Spotted algae eater nips fins, and Congo tetra has long fins.
Not recommended
  • Spotted algae eater nips fins, and Guppy has long fins.
Not recommended
  • Spotted algae eater nips fins, and Betta has long fins.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Herbivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–10 cm
Growth Fast

Behavior

Territorial and can sucker onto slow-bodied fish. Best with robust, fast tankmates.

  • current

Food

Algae wafers, blanched vegetables, sinking pellets.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

MaleSlimmer
FemalePlumper
TipHard to tell
How hard to tellHard

Health

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

Breeding

Hormone-induced spawner ·

No captive breeding has been reported for this species. Farm breeding with hormones is not confirmed by any source found.

Pairing

Mature adults selected by farms and injected with spawning hormones.

Setup

Large pond or tank system with spawning tanks and nursery ponds; requires trained staff.

What starts it

Hormone injection plus a rising-water or current stimulus.

Eggs

Thousands of tiny eggs; hatch in about a day.

Raising the fry

Raised on fine live food then crumbles in nursery ponds for several months.

Common mistakes
  • Trying without hormones
  • Overcrowding nursery ponds
  • Poor water quality in grow-out
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionMekong basin – Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
Rivers and lakesMekong River and tributaries
HabitatFlowing rivers and streams
Native rangeAbout 600 km across
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The story of the spotted algae eater

A close relative of the Chinese algae eater, easy to mistake for it, with strongly spotted fins. It grazes mainly on algae; like its cousin it is expected to become territorial and may rasp at the flanks of larger fish.

Henry Fowler described this fish in 1937. It belongs to the small family Gyrinocheilidae and uses its sucker mouth to attach to surfaces and graze. It is less common in trade than its relative, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri.

First described by Henry W. Fowler in 1937.

  • It can breathe through a special opening above its gills while attached by its mouth.
  • Its family, Gyrinocheilidae, contains only three species.
  • It grazes algae and biofilm from hard surfaces.

Sources

10 facts checked with sources