[Ebook] Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish – Directory of Freshwater Fish – Loaches
Often confused with catfish, loaches belong to the family Cobitidae and occur in both tropical and temperate regions. All loaches have barbels around the mouth and, even though it is not always obvious, a spine below each eye. When a loach feels threatened, it will raise its spines, making itself more difficult for a predator to swallow.