Product Details

Purple Fin Sucker – Pseudogastromyzon laticeps

The Purple Fin Sucker is a rare and attractive hillstream loach with a flattened sucker-type body, fine spotting and distinctive purple-toned fins. Also sold as the Purple Fin Hillstream Loach, Purple Fin Sucker Loach, Purple Hillstream Loach or Chinese Sucker Loach, this specialist species is best suited to mature river-style aquariums with cool, clean, highly oxygenated water and established biofilm. It is peaceful and fascinating to watch, but it should not be kept in warm, still or newly set-up aquariums.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Purple Fin Sucker
Other Names: Purple Fin Hillstream Loach, Purple Fin Sucker Loach, Purple Hillstream Loach, Chinese Sucker Loach
Scientific Name: Pseudogastromyzon laticeps
Fish Type: Hillstream Loach / Sucker Loach
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Pseudogastromyzon laticeps is native to southern China and is recorded from the Longjin He drainage in Guangdong Province. Like other hillstream loaches, it is adapted to shallow, clear, fast-flowing waters with high oxygen levels and hard grazing surfaces.

In the aquarium, Purple Fin Suckers should be kept in a mature river-style setup with smooth rounded stones, cobbles, sand patches, driftwood and strong oxygenation. Bright enough lighting to encourage natural algae and biofilm growth is useful, as these surfaces provide important grazing opportunities.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Purple Fin Suckers have a flattened body designed for clinging to rocks in flowing water. The broad paired fins help the fish grip smooth surfaces, while the underside forms a sucker-like hold that allows it to remain stable in current.

The body is usually pale grey, silver, olive or tan with fine darker spotting or mottling. The fins may show purple, violet, grey-blue or dusky tones, with darker edging on the tail and fin margins. Adults usually reach around 5–7 cm.

Aquarium Suitability:

This species is best suited to mature specialist aquariums, hillstream setups and carefully planned cool-to-moderate tropical communities. It needs clean water, high oxygen, stable conditions and established grazing surfaces.

Purple Fin Suckers are not suitable for brand-new aquariums, warm low-flow tanks or standard tropical communities with poor oxygenation. They are algae and biofilm grazers, but they still need targeted feeding and should not be sold as a simple algae-cleaning fish.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 80–100 litres for a small group, with a tank length of at least 75–90 cm recommended. Larger aquariums are better because they provide more grazing surfaces, more stable water quality and more space for group interaction.

Keep in a group of at least 3–5, with 6 or more preferred where space and filtration allow. Provide several stones, feeding areas and shaded resting spots so individuals can spread out naturally.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 19–24°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: Soft to moderately hard
Additional Notes: High oxygen levels, clean water and mature biofilm are essential. Use good filtration, regular water changes and steady directional flow. Avoid high tropical temperatures, dirty substrate, unstable new aquariums, low oxygen and stagnant water.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Community Fish

Purple Fin Suckers are peaceful with suitable tank mates, although individuals may lightly chase or nudge each other over favoured grazing stones. This is normal hillstream loach behaviour when there is enough hardscape and feeding space.

Suitable tank mates include White Cloud Mountain Minnows, small danios, hillstream-suitable rasboras, peaceful gobies, small cool-water barbs and other gentle stream-style fish. Avoid large predators, aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping species, very warm-water fish, slow delicate fish and species that need still water.

Feeding:

Purple Fin Suckers are specialised grazers that feed on biofilm, algae, tiny invertebrates and organic material from rock surfaces. In the aquarium, they should have access to mature algae-coated stones and established hardscape.

Offer algae wafers, spirulina tablets, fine sinking foods, vegetable-based gels and high-quality grazer foods as the staple diet. Supplement with small frozen or live foods such as daphnia, cyclops, baby brineshrimp and finely chopped bloodworm in moderation. They must not be expected to survive on aquarium algae alone.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This species spends much of its time attached to stones, wood, glass or other smooth surfaces, grazing and shifting position in short movements. It is most confident in a well-oxygenated aquarium with plenty of stones and broken lines of sight.

Purple Fin Suckers may rest directly in the current, graze exposed surfaces and interact with each other over preferred feeding patches. Their flattened body and clinging behaviour make them especially interesting in a proper stream-style display.

Care Notes:

Add Purple Fin Suckers only to a mature aquarium with established biofilm and stable water quality. They should not be placed in new tanks, warm still-water aquariums or setups with poor oxygenation.

Keep temperatures on the cooler side, maintain excellent water quality and make sure food reaches the grazing areas. Provide rounded stones rather than sharp décor, and avoid heavy medication use unless specialist advice is followed, as loach-type fish can be sensitive. A secure lid is recommended, as active stream fish can jump or climb short distances on wet glass.

Recommended For:

Intermediate to experienced

Availability:

Rare / Specialist import, often seasonal or limited availability

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, colour, pattern, fin tone, body tone and markings can occur between individual fish.