Suspicious

[Snuffleupagus]

I'm sure this has been noticed before, but I still find it peculiar how much a clown loach looks like a stretched-out tiger barb. It almost can't be coincidence -- does anyone have any thoughts on whether this is parallel evolution, or whether they have a common ancestor?

 

[Hrafnkel]

Maybe the clown loach is the evolutionary step between a tiger barb and a tiger. >.>

 

[Guest]

i saw at a lfs once a tank full of tiger barbs and clown loaches all schooling together.. it was kind of hard to tell the difference between the two unless you looked closely .

 

[Toirtis]

They are not closely related, but in nature, for various reasons, different species often evolve to look similar (like monarch and viceroy butterflies).

 

[happyhillbilly]

Thats realy weird! I saw tiger barbs at Petco today, and I though "Wow, they look so much like clown loaches!"

 

[TomK2]

I agree with Toirtis, convergent evolution can result in totally different animals looking alike. As for coloration, you would expect coloration to provide some advantage, either camoflage or warning. Thus, unrelated animals can have the same coloration for the same camoflage needs, or to mimic a more dangerous animal that would ward off predators.

 

[Toirtis]

I agree with Toirtis, convergent evolution can result in totally different animals looking alike. As for coloration, you would expect coloration to provide some advantage, either camoflage or warning. Thus, unrelated animals can have the same coloration for the same camoflage needs, or to mimic a more dangerous animal that would ward off predators.

Although for the life of me, I cannot think of with a benefit for either species in this case.

 

[QTOFFER]

Tiger barbs and clown loaches are both found in the same river systems of Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia. I imagine that convergent evolution may have caused these two very unrelated species to look similar. Both live in the same environment (sandy bottom with smooth rounded rocks, jutting roots, and heavy plant growth) where a black and orange banded pattern might offer great camo.

Of course, there is also the possibility that there may be some Batesian mimicry going on, as is the case with poisonous monarch butterflies and their non-poisonous viceroy copycats. There are so many undiscovered species living in Indonesia. Perhaps one of them is a poisonous fish sporting bright orange and black stripes.

 

[mr86mister]

i would say that is also like the snakes that live in the United States, there is a saying that goes, "Red on black, you're ok Jack, Red on Yellow, you're a dead man, fellow", i cant recall the snakes actual names but they look so much alike, one is non-venomous and one is extremely venomous. and if you dont look hard enough as a predator you could not tell them apart so you would not mess with either. back to this forum....just chiming on the fact that they look alike to help confuse predators

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Safe king snake, dangerous coral snake.

 

[Toirtis]

Both live in the same environment (sandy bottom with smooth rounded rocks, jutting roots, and heavy plant growth) where a black and orange banded pattern might offer great camo.

Of course, there is also the possibility that there may be some Batesian mimicry going on, as is the case with poisonous monarch butterflies and their non-poisonous viceroy copycats. There are so many undiscovered species living in Indonesia. Perhaps one of them is a poisonous fish sporting bright orange and black stripes.

It was mimicry to which I was referring, as opposed to cryptic patterning/colouration, mainly because the fish are so damned similar in pattern....but you bring up a good point that both fish may be attempting to mimic a third species as opposed to each other.

 

[Toirtis]

Safe king snake, dangerous coral snake.

King snake or mostly the related milk snakes....this is the same type of mimicry Qtoffer and I were discussing.

 

[mr86mister]

thanks for the names Roger i just couldnt think of them...lol