Taxonomy & naming
Bleeker described the species in 1864 as a carp-like fish from China, and the authority is given in parentheses because it was not originally placed in Myxocyprinus. It is the sole Asian member of the sucker family Catostomidae, a group otherwise confined to North America apart from this species and a Siberian one. The Catalog of Fishes gives the type locality simply as China.
Morphology
Juveniles are deep-bodied with a high, sail-like dorsal fin and broad dark bands . As the fish grows the body lengthens, the fin lowers and the bands fade, so adults look unlike the juveniles sold in shops. The mouth is ventral and fleshy-lipped, built for feeding on the bottom. FishBase gives a maximum of 27 in TL.
Habitat
FishBase lists it as a freshwater, demersal, potamodromous fish of subtropical water, with a stated range of 59–82 °F. It is native to the Yangtze River basin in China and moves within the river system rather than between sea and river.
Feeding
Suckers feed along the bottom, taking invertebrates and plant material with the protrusible ventral mouth. FishBase does not give a diet for this species.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not described in the sources the atlas uses.
Breeding
FishBase records the fish as potamodromous, migrating within fresh water. Breeding details are not described in the sources the atlas uses.
In the aquarium
The fish outgrows ordinary tanks. A juvenile sold at a few centimetres needs pond or very large aquarium space within a few years, with cool to moderate water, strong flow, good oxygenation and a secure lid. Keep it with robust, non-nibbling tankmates, since the trailing fins of juveniles invite bites.
Conservation
FishBase lists the species as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Specific threats are not described in the sources the atlas uses.