Balantiocheilos melanopterus
| Common Names: | Bala Shark Silver Shark Tricolor Shark |
| Synonyms: | Barbus melanopterus Puntius melanopterus |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Category: | Cyprinids |
| Distribution: | Asia; Farm Raised, Thailand |
| Main Ecosystem: | River; River |
| Temperament: | Schooling; Usually peaceful and passive but will violently attack invertabrates, such as ghost shrimp and snails as they make up a major part of its diet in the wild. The greater number of sharks in the school the bolder they will be; single specimens are extremely timid. |
| Diet: | Carnivore; Carnivore |
| Care: | The Silver Shark requires a large aquarium with driftwood, rocks, and spots of dense vegetation. This Cyprinid does best in small groups of 3 or more, as they prefer to school in the aquarium. Feed with flakes or worms. Very large tanks are recommended. Easy to keep. A heavy cover on the tank is much needed, as Silver Sharks can jump up to six feet in the air. |
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| Potential Size: | Male: 35cm (13.8") Female: 35cm (13.8") |
| Water Region: | All; All |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Diurnal |
| Gender: | Hard to determine. Females have a rounder stomach. |
| Breeding: | Too large to breed in a home aquarium. |
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| Comments: | A favorite in the trade. This is one of the more passive freshwater sharks, and they are an active fish that will be visible during the day. The Bala Shark is a beautiful fish with a me SPECIAL NOTE: Currently listed on the IUCN databa |
| Main Colours: | Silver, Black, White |
| Markings: | No Markings |
| Mouth: | Normal |
| Tail: | Forked |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | Adam |
| History: | View changes to this profile |
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