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Cyprinds
/ Flying Fox
Flying Fox
Epalzeorhynchus kallopterus | Pictures
Synonyms: Barbus
kallopterus
Physical description: An elongated fish with a flat belly profile.
The back is olive brown to dark brown
while the lower-parts are yellowish white.
A brown-black, lateral stripe extends from the snout, through the eye,
and to the fork of the caudal fin.
Above this is a more slender, gold stripe.
The dorsal, anal, and ventral fins have
a black band and a white edging.
The iris of the eye may be bright red.
Size/Length: To 6" (15 cm), although rarely larger than 4.7" (12 cm) in aquaria.
Similar species: Siamese Flying Fox (
C. siamensis)
Habitat: Inhabits fast-flowing streams and rivers in foothill areas.
Southeast Asia; Borneo, Java, Sumatra.
S: bottom
Aquarium: A 32" (81 cm) tank with a capacity of 30 gallons (114 L) is adequate for fish smaller
than 4" (10 cm).
Fish larger than this must be kept in a tank measuring at least 36" (91 cm) with a capacity
of 35 gallons (132 L).
The tank should be heavily planted and have a moderate to strong current.
Provide hiding places with rocks, roots,
and wood and use strong lighting to promote algae growth.
Use a fine gravel substrate.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.5), 2-12 dH (6), 73-81°F (23-27°C).
Social behavior: The Flying Fox should be kept singly or in schools.
If kept in small groups, territorial
disputes quickly arise.
Peaceful towards dissimilar species, the flying fox is recommended as an algae eater for
a community tank.
Suggested companions: Gouramis, Danios, Barbs, Loaches, Acaras, Angelfish, Eartheaters, tetras, Rasboras,
Knifefish.
FOOD: Algae, vegetable flakes, vegetables; spinach, lettuce; tablets; oatmeal; live; planarias,
Tubifex
, crustaceans; aquatic insets.
SEX: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Unknown
Breeding potential: 10.
No spawnings in captivity have been reported.
Remarks: This species will not eat Thread Algae.
This species has a habit of resting
propped up by its pectoral fins.
Difficulty of care: 3.
The Flying Fox is a decent algae eater that can be easily kept in a community tank.
Suggest
partial water changes two or three times a month to keep this fish in good health.
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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