Garra spilota

Overview

Garra spilota is a small garra with reddish fins and a row of dark flank blotches. Stable, oxygen-rich stream accommodation suits it. Surface grazing does not make it an algae-only fish, and its relatively mild competition with conspecifics still calls for adequate room and at least three or four companions in the group.

Distribution & habitat

It may be restricted to the Rakhine Yoma mountains of western Myanmar. The original collection came from a small Irrawaddy tributary draining the eastern slopes; additional commercial collection sites remain uncertain.

That locality ran through hilly bamboo forest. Clear, colorless water moved moderately over rock and gravel in a shallow, narrow channel with both shaded and more open sections.

Aquarium setup

Rounded stones, sand, fine gravel, small boulders, and wood create a suitable stream layout. Hardy attached plants can be secured to the structure. Clean water, oxygenation, and stability matter most. Turnover preferably exceeds ten tank volumes per hour, with pumps or air stones supplementing circulation as needed.

Bright illumination encourages grazing surfaces to develop biofilm. Introduce the fish only after the aquarium has matured biologically. It can climb glass, so the cover must prevent escape by climbing as well as jumping.

Diet & feeding

Algae is consumed, but the diet is not exclusively plant-based. Combine live or frozen bloodworms, tubificid worms, brine shrimp, or chopped prawn with quality sinking preparations. Some dry foods should provide a substantial plant component, such as spirulina.

Cucumber, melon, blanched spinach, or zucchini can be offered occasionally. Mixed gel foods containing dry feed, shellfish puree, fruit, and vegetables provide another way to maintain variety.

Behaviour & compatibility

It is relatively peaceful in a carefully chosen, spacious community of stream fishes. Conspecific company appears beneficial, with three or four fish a minimum group. It is less competitive and territorial toward its own kind than some other garras, which does not imply that all friction is absent.

Sexual dimorphism

Snout and head tubercles are useful in sexing some garras, but their development is rudimentary here. Mature females may have a rounder profile, especially when carrying eggs; this remains a tentative clue.

Notes

Reddish fins, serial flank blotches, and distinctive soft tissue on the upper lip aid recognition. The species epithet refers to its spotted pattern and should not be treated as a general label for every red-finned garra.