Volume 37, Plate XXVII / Ichthyology (Fish)

Loach, Loche, or Beardie & Spined Loach, or Groundling

Cobitis barbatula & C. tænia

1. Loach, Loche, or Beardie. This small European fish is readily distinguished by a spineless nose and a snout furnished with six cirri. It reaches about four inches in length, features a brown-spotted body and blue irises, and lurks under stones in gravelly streams where it feeds on worms and aquatic insects.
2. Spined Loach, or Groundling. This slender, elongated fish is found in British lakes, ponds, and clear streams, where it deposits its ova among bottom stones in April or May. Featuring a pointed nose, long pectoral fins, and a row of dark spots along its compressed body, it rarely grows beyond three inches in length.