The Jewels of Our Rivers, Korean Endemic Freshwater Fish

The entire body is silvery white and glossy, with a slightly bluish-green color on the dorsal side. During the spawning season, males develop a white band on their anal fin. The name was given a spines because it was characterized by strong scales like spines.

Korean spined bittering looks similar to the Deep body bittering (Acanthorhodeus macropterus), but is distinguished by its dorsal fin.  Korean spined bittering has a dorsal fin with white tip, and Deep body bittering has a black-tipped dorsal fin.

It is a small fish with a body length of about 5 to 8 centimeters, but individuals over 10 centimeters are occasionally found. It has a pair of mouth whiskers, large eyes and scales. There is no distinct pattern on body, but during the spawning season in May, the center of the male's body turns dark green, and a wide band of black and pale yellow develops on the edges of the dorsal and anal fins.

It prefers aquatic vegetation and stony areas in streams with gentle currents. It is omnivorous, feeding on aquatic insects and attached algae. Spawning season is April through June. The species lays eggs in shells clams using a spawning tube.

The body length is about 7 to 10 centimeters, and the head and body are shaped like a long rod that is thick and slightly flattened on the sides. It has three pairs of whiskers at the corners of its mouth and small two-pronged spines under its eyes called  suborbital spines. 

It has an irregular cloud-like mottled pattern on its back.

The tail fin has small dark brown spots. The dorsal and caudal fins have three to four rows of horizontal stripes. They inhabit sand gravel or stony bottoms with smooth currents and cold, clear water. Spawning season is June and July, and eggs hatch within 50 hours after fertilization.

The body is greenish-brown overall, with irregular blackish-brown spots scattered throughout. 

The dorsal fin has a blackish-brown stripe below and at the tip. The mouth is small and horseshoe-shaped. They live near the bottom of rivers and reservoirs with gentle currents and feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and live worms. They are very sensitive to sounds and disturbances and will hide under aquatic vegetation or stones when they hear a sound.

Spawning season is May and June. Males have yellowish fins and females have spawning tubes coming out from under their bellies.

It has a wide yellow band down the center of its sides, flanked by bands of orange, purple, and deep indigo, giving it a beautiful, almost rainbow-striped clothes appearance. 

There is a black stripe from the tip of the snout to the gill covers. 

All fins have 1-2 black patterns on them. They live in shoals in clear, fast-flowing streams in south-central Korea. The spawning season is from April to May, and the eggs are laid under large stones in the rapids and hatch within four days after fertilization.