Cobitis taenia, Spined loach : aquarium

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  Cobitidae
- - Classification -
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Cobitis taenia Linnaeus, 1758

Spined loach

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Cobitis taenia
Picture by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cobitidae (Spined loaches)
Etymology: Cobitis: Greek, kobitis, -idos = a kind of sardine; also related with the voice Greek, kobios, Latin gobius = gudgeon (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.0 - 7.7; dH range: 10 - 15; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Temperate; 14°C - 18°C (Ref. 1672); 62°N - 36°N, 7°W - 40°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Europe and Asia: Atlantic drainages from Loire northward; Baltic basin south of 61°N; upper olga and Ural drainages; northern Black Sea basin (except Danube). Ancient records from Ardour and Garonne drainages in France require confirmation (Ref. 59043).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 5.3, range 8 - ? cm
Max length : 13.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1441); 9.5 cm SL (female); common length : 5.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 556); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 59043)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 8; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5; Vertebrae: 40 - 42. Caudal fin with 15-16 rays (Ref. 2196). Single small spot on upper caudal base. Pigmentation (Gambetta's longitudinal zone of pigmentation): zones Z1-Z4 usually well differentiated, extending backward to caudal peduncle; height of blotches of zone Z4 usually less than 2 times in their length; if more than 2 times, then height equal to or greater than horizontal eye diameter. One lamina circularis (Ref. 59043).

Adults occur in slow-flowing and still waters with fine sandy substrate (Ref. 9696). They occur in the Baltic Sea at salinities of up to 5 ppt (Ref. 59043). Filter sand for food particles (Ref. 36876). Nocturnal, stays hidden under rocks or buried in the sand or mud during the day (Ref. 30578). Oviparous, with distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Spawn in spring; scatters eggs into mats of plant material (Ref. 36876). Eggs are found attached to gravel and weed in shallow, flowing water (Ref. 41678). Larvae hide under vegetation and in debris until beginning of exogenous feeding (Ref. 59043).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Start of courtship is observed when both male and female swim excitedly then progresses to a chase done by the male. When movements become synchronised, the male entwines itself around the female's body, squeezing it and causing egg spawning (Ref. 58425). Triploid females can occur; they produce triploid eggs which can develop without fertilization, but need contact with sperm to start development (gynogenesis) (Ref. 36876). Also Ref. 9953.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Vostradovsky, J., 1973. Freshwater fishes. The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, London. 252 p. (Ref. 9696)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 02 July 2022

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: public aquariums

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Food consumption
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Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
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Life cycle
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Anatomy
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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00417 (0.00262 - 0.00664), b=3.14 (3.01 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.3 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=1-2; tmax=8; K=0.29-0.59; Fec=100-1,000).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100).

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