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Cyprinds
/ Rainbow Shark
Red-fin Shark, Rainbow Shark, Ruby Shark
Epalzeorhynchus frenatus | Pictures
Synonyms:
Labeo frenatus, L. erythrurus
Physical description: An elongated species with a more pointed snout than
E. bicolor.
The belly has a relatively flat profile
and the caudal fin is forked.
The body color is gray brown to black, with an occasional violet iridescence.
The
fins are orange-red to red.
The rear parts of the anal fin of males are black.
A short stripe extends from the gill
cover, through the eye, and to the snout.
Size/Length: To 5.5" (14 cm)
Similar species: None
Habitat: Southeast Asia; the Mekong River in Thailand.
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 36" (91 cm) with a volume of 30 gallons (114 L) is adequate.
Follow
recommendations for E. bicolor
.
Water chemistry: pH 6.2-7.5 (7.0), 2-15 dH (10), 73-79°F (23-26°C)
Social behavior: A territorial and intolerant fish, especially of its own and co-similar species.
This
fish can be kept in a community tank with robust, dissimilar species.
Each fish will establish a territory
and defend it against all intruders.
It is possible to keep more than one specimen in a 48" (122 cm)
tank.
Some have success with keeping several fish (six or more) in one tank, as the aggressiveness can
be evenly distributed.
Suggested companions: As for E.
bicolor.
FOOD: Algae; flakes; tablets; vegetables; lettuce, spinach; live; insect larvae,
Tubifex,
crustaceans, aquatic insects.
SEX: Males are smaller with brighter colors.
The anal fin is outlined with a black
marking.
Breeding techniques: Spawnings have been reported, although details have not been made available.
Spawning
is likely similar to that of E.
bicolor.
Breeding potential: 10.
Few details are known about successful spawnings.
Remarks: An albino form is widely available.
Difficulty of care: 4.
A territorial and aggressive species which requires a diet including live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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