Genus · Loaches

Claea

Claea is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Loaches section, recorded from China. Adult sizes run from 3 in to 4 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
3–4 in
IUCN assessed
3 of 3
Recorded from
China

About the genus

Claea is a small genus of loaches native to freshwater streams in southern China; the atlas's 3 species (C. dabryi, C. dafangensis, C. tongziensis) are known only from a limited area, in keeping with the narrow, localized river systems typical of loach diversity in that region. Like other small stream loaches, they are elongated, bottom-oriented fish with barbels around a downturned mouth adapted for probing sediment and picking invertebrates and algae from stones. Published information on this particular genus is sparse - much of what's known comes from the original taxonomic descriptions rather than any sustained field or aquarium literature.

Claea has essentially no presence in the aquarium hobby; all three species appear to be known only from scientific collecting rather than the fish trade, and no established common names or care information circulate among hobbyists. Conservation status is only partly resolved - one species is Least Concern and the other two have not yet been formally assessed - which is common for narrow-range Chinese stream fish that receive limited survey attention. Given how little is documented about this genus, this overview stays close to what can be stated with confidence rather than speculating on habitat details or behavior.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 1 Not Evaluated · 2

The 3 species

Every Claea recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Sauvage, 1874)

4 in SL · LC

Wang, Luo & Zhou, 2026

3 in SL · NE

Zhao, Lv, Huang & Liu, 2026

NE

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Claea. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/claea/

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