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Leptobotia elongata, the imperial flower loach, elongate loach or royal clown loach, is a species of botiid fish found in flowing water in the upper and middle Yangtze basin in China.[1][2][3] It is the largest species in the family, reaching up to 50 cm (1.6 ft) in length and 3 kg (6.6 lb) in weight.[4][5] Formerly common, the numbers of this vulnerable species have declined because of overfishing, dams (limiting its breeding migration), habitat loss and pollution.[1] The species is bred in captivity and a stocking project has been in place since 2010.[5][6] It is sometimes kept in aquariums, but require a very large tank.[2][3]

Leptobotia elongata
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Botiidae
Genus:	Leptobotia
Species:	L. elongata
Binomial name
Leptobotia elongata (Bleeker, 1870)
Synonyms
Botia elongata Bleeker, 1870 Botia citrauratea Nichols, 1925

Adults migrate upstream to spawn between March to May.[4] They have been recorded feeding on fish, shrimp, gammarids, benthic invertebrates, aquatic insect larvae, mollusks, plankton and phytodetritus.[5] The feeding preference depends on size: Individuals less than 11 cm (4.3 in) long mainly take benthic invertebrates and aquatic insect larvae, while larger individuals mainly feed on fish and shrimp.[5]

References

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