Taxonomy & naming
Wu described the species in 1939 in Botia; it is now placed in Sinibotia, which is why the authority is in parentheses. The type locality is given as Yangso, Li Kiang, southern China. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, CAS) is the authority for the valid name. The family is Botiidae.
Morphology
As a botiid it has a movable, forked suborbital spine below the eye, four pairs of barbels and a laterally compressed body, unlike the flattened hillstream loaches. FishBase gives a maximum of 4 in TL. The exact colour pattern has not been compiled here.
Habitat
FishBase says adults inhabit the bottom of streams and main rivers in clear, moderately or slowly flowing water with some aquatic plants. It lists the species as freshwater and demersal, in a subtropical climate at 22 to 26 C, from China and Viet Nam. The Li River, its type locality, is part of the Pearl River system in Guangxi.
Feeding
Botiids are bottom-feeding omnivores, taking snails, insect larvae and other small invertebrates. The diet of this species has not been studied specifically.
Mating
Courtship has not been described for this species.
Breeding
Spawning has not been described, in the wild or in captivity.
In the aquarium
Botiids are social and are best kept in groups in a roomy tank with caves, wood and rocks and good filtration. FishBase gives 22 to 26 C, so no strong heating is needed. The suborbital spine can snag in nets. A pH range has not been published for this species.
Conservation
The IUCN assessed Sinibotia pulchra as Data Deficient in 2011, meaning there is too little information to judge its extinction risk. Wild-collected animals in the trade should be viewed with that in mind.