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Cyprinds
/ Rasboras / Scissortail
Scissortail, Scissor tailed Rasbora, Three-lined Rasbora
Rasbora trilineata | Pictures
Synonyms: Rasbora
calliura, R. stigmatura
Physical description: This elongated species has a forked caudal fin marked with characteristic black and
white spots on the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin.
The back is silvery, olive-green and the rest
of the body is silvery, occasionally with a green iridescence.
A slender, gold lateral line runs from the gills
cover to the caudal fin.
Paralleling this, just below, is a faint black stripe.
Size/Length: To 6" (15 cm) in nature, although not usually larger than 4" (10 cm) in
captivity.
Similar species: None
Habitat: Sill and slow-moving rivers and lakes.
Southeast Asia; Borneo, Malay Peninsula,
Sumatra
S: middle, top
Aquarium: A tank measuring 36" (91 cm) with a volume of 30 gallons (114 L) is sufficient, although
full-grown fish should be moved to a tank of at least 48" (122 cm) long.
Leave plenty of open swimming areas
and plant the edges with plants.
Use a dark substrate.
Water chemistry: pH 5.8-8 (6.8), 4-18 dH (8), 64-77°F (18-25°C)
Social behavior: A lively, schooling species that is a fine candidate for a community tank.
Suggested companions: Danios, Barbs, Gouramis, Loaches,
Corydoras, Loricarids, tetras,
Apistogramma
, Acaras
FOOD: Live; insects,
Tubifex , insect larvae; flakes
Sexual differences: Females are plumper.
Breeding techniques: Use a long, shallow tank with a water level not exceeding 8" (20 cm) deep.
The
water should have values of a pH from 6.0-6.5, a water hardness from 4-8 dH, and a temperature from 77-82°F
(25-28°C).
Use a substrate of dark, coarse gravel and plant the tank heavily.
The parent should be removed just after
spawning is completed.
As many as 1000 eggs are scattered among plants.
The eggs hatch after 24-28 hours and
the fry are free-swimming 3-5 days later.
Start feeding with
Artemia nauplii.
The eggs and the fry are sensitive to
Infusoria as the Infusoria have a tendency to be physically harmful.
Thus it is important not to feed the
young with Infusoria.
Breeding potential: 7.
Breeding this Rasbora is fairly difficult.
Remarks: This fish's name is from the scissor-like movement of the outer rays of the caudal fin.
Difficulty of care: 2.
This hardy species is recommended for a community
tank.
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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