Family: Balitoridae
Jinshaia abbreviata — a Balitoridae from upper Yangtze, China, peaceful; territorial only over a favourite stone. Reaches 11.6–16.9 cm; keep one per stone field, or 3+ to spread territory. 18–26 °C.
Jinshaia abbreviata, a member of the family Balitoridae, comes from upper Yangtze, China, where it inhabits fast-flowing mountain streams, clinging to rocks. Peaceful; territorial only over a favourite stone and herbivorous grazer — aufwuchs, algae wafers, vegetable matter, it grows to 11.6–16.9 cm and adapts well to a properly set-up aquarium in the 18–26 °C range. Other Jinshaia species in our database include Jinshaia sinensis.
Difficulty: moderate. Peaceful; territorial only over a favourite stone. Keep one per stone field, or 3+ to spread territory.
Aim for 18–26 °C. Cool, highly oxygenated water; 18–26 °C typical for the genus.
Adults reach 11.6–16.9 cm; it is bottom-dwelling on rock surfaces. Plan for at least 343 litres.
Herbivorous grazer — aufwuchs, algae wafers, vegetable matter. Feed two small meals a day rather than one large one.
Peaceful; territorial only over a favourite stone; keep one per stone field, or 3+ to spread territory. Good company: Hillstream loaches of similar size — Graze side by side on open stone. Keep away from Warm-water community fish — Need different temperatures.
Its home waters are upper Yangtze, China — fast-flowing mountain streams, clinging to rocks, with very strong, highly oxygenated current.
No confirmed aquarium breeding; treat as egg-scatterer. Difficult to distinguish.