The
hillstream loaches or
river loaches are a
family, the
Balitoridae, of small fish from
South,
Southeast and
East Asia. The family includes about 99 species. They are sometimes sold as "lizardfish" or (in Germany) "flossensaugers". Many of the species are popular for
aquaria. They have a number of similarities with the
Cobitidae, their sibling family of "
loaches", such as multiple
barbels around the mouth. They should not be confused with the
loricariids, which look similar but are a family of
catfish.