SIZE: To 16" (40 cm) in the wild, not usually more than 6" (15 cm) in captivity PD: A fish with a "typical" eel-shape. The back is dark brown while the flanks are light brown. The belly is lighter and there is a fine yellow line extending from the snout to the caudal fin. Five eye-spots can be found on the dorsal and caudal fins. SS: Other Mastacembelus and Aethiomastacembelus species. HAB: Vegetation choked rivers in India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Sumatra. S: bottom TANK: A tank measuring 24” (61 cm) with a volume of 20 gallons (75 L) is suggested for small fish. Follow recommendations under M. circumcinctus . WATER: pH 6-8 (7.0), 6-25 dH (10), 73-82°F (23-28°C), some salt can be added if desired SB: A peaceful fish ideal for a community tank having medium to large sized fishes. Often shy when first introduced, but becomes friendly once acclimated. Gets along well with own species as long as they are similar in size. SC: Large Gouramis, Knifefish, Giant Danios, large Loaches, Loricarids, Eartheaters, Acaras, Cichlasomines, Asian Catfish FOOD: Live; Tubifex, fish, Brine Shrimp, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, Cyclops. SEX: Only distinguishable when mature-females plumper B: Unsuccessful in captivity BP: 10. Breeding has not been accomplished in aquaria. R: This species has different color and pattern forms depending on its geographical population. DC: 5. This species requires a diet of 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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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
