I am wondering if anyone here can say if Loach enthusiasts are having the same problem with hybrids that us syno people are having, looks like likely candidates for this to happen to.
Have to say after 35 years of fishkeeping I recently picked up my first groups of Botia, striata and dario and for a non-catfish they are a great little fish.
At a shop that normally keeps a number of loach species I have lately seen Chromobotia macracanthus with patterns that are different than the norm, there was a number of them in a tank of their own with more of a saddle pattern beside a tank of regularly patterned ones.
Did not notice at the time if they are charging more for them or not.
I do not know if they are being raised this way or selectively chosen when collected, I would suspect the former with the use of hormones.