Fish
Stone Loach
Barbatula barbatula · also called bearded loach
Lift a flat stone in a clear river and a stone loach may wriggle out, its mottled body and six barbels giving it away as it dashes for cover.
Overview
The stone loach, Barbatula barbatula, is a Least Concern fish of clear, gravelly streams and rivers across Europe and northern Asia. Its barbels, mottled camouflage, and night feeding make it one of the most secretive and most characteristic bottom fish of clean running water.
A fish that hides in plain sight
By staying under stones during the day and feeding only after dark, the stone loach avoids most of the predators that hunt by sight.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Stone Loach: common questions
Why is it called the stone loach?
It is named for its habit of hiding under stones during the day, in the clean, gravelly streams where it lives.
What are the whiskers on a stone loach?
It has six sensitive barbels around the mouth, three on each side, which it uses to detect food on the bottom.
When is the stone loach active?
It hides by day and comes out to feed at night.
Where is the stone loach found?
It lives in clear, gravelly streams and rivers across Europe and northern Asia.