From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Red Tail Shark
Epalzeorhynchos bicolor
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
- pH
- 6 – 8
- Min. tank size
- 243 L
- Lifespan
- 5-8 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- moderate
Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. That describes the wild population — the criteria cover only wild populations inside their natural range, and captive-bred fish are not assessed. Captive-bred stock is widely available and takes nothing from the wild population.
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Epalzeorhynchos bicolor |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Origin: | Thailand (Chao Phraya basin; now critically endangered in the wild) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 15.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | aggressive |
| Min Group: | Can be kept alone |
| Varieties: | No established cultivated strains — the fish in the trade is the wild type, and its appeal is a colour scheme that needs no improvement. An albino form is occasionally offered, a pale pink-white fish retaining the red tail, and a few suppliers advertise selected lines for a deeper red. Neither is widely established. The important distinction is between species rather than strains, because two relatives are constantly confused with it. The rainbow shark, Epalzeorhynchos frenatum, has red or orange in all its fins rather than only the tail, and a grey-black rather than jet-black body. It is a separate species with the same territorial problems, and the two must never be kept together. The flying fox, Epalzeorhynchos kalopterum, is a slimmer striped fish sold as an algae eater, and is also in the genus the red tail shark attacks on sight. Do not confuse any of them with the bala shark, which is an entirely different fish that reaches 35 cm and shoals — a fish with the opposite requirements in almost every respect. |
| Lifespan: | 5-8 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium
- Min Tank:243 L
- Substrate:Gravel or sand; driftwood, rocks and caves to claim a territory
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Moderate to high
Red Tail Shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is native to Thailand (Chao Phraya basin; now critically endangered in the wild). The red tail shark is a jet-black fish with a single scarlet tail, and one of the most striking shapes in fresh water. It is also a fish with two things about it that most keepers never hear. The first is conservation. It was declared extinct in 1996. In 2011 a small, highly localised population was observed in Thailand, and it was confirmed extant in 2014. It is currently considered critically endangered pending further records. Every one in the trade is produced commercially, and none has been bred in a private aquarium. The second is the aggression. It becomes increasingly territorial as it grows, with particularly high levels of aggression toward similar-looking species — and that is a specific, predictable list rather than a general warning. It reaches 125 mm standard length, and the specialist minimum tank is 120 × 45 cm, around 243 litres. It is a much bigger commitment than the 5 cm juvenile in the shop suggests.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- aggressive
- Keep in
- Can be kept alone
- Swims
- bottom
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Red Tail Shark
Matched on family, then category, then water type