Balantiocheilos melanopterus      

Class: Actinopterygii,  Order: Cypriniformes,  Family: Cyprinidae Minnows or Carps

DISTRIBUTION: Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.

HABITAT: Midwater depth in large and medium sized rivers and lakes.

APPEARANCE: Elongated silver body up to 35 cm in length; black margins on dorsal, caudal, anal and pelvic fins; large, prominent eyes.

DIET: Phytoplankton, small crustaceans, rotifers, insects and their larvae. 

REPRODUCTION and DEVELOPMENT: External  fertilization.

REMARKS:  The shark portion of the name Tricolor Sharkminnow refers to their torpedo shaped bodies and long fins, not that they are sharks. They belong to the family Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek kyprînos, consisting of the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives (for example, the barbs and barbels). Cyprinids are stomachless fish with toothless jaws. Even so, food can be effectively chewed by the gill rakers of the specialized last gill bow.  Commonly called the carp family or the minnow family, its members are also known as cyprinids. It is the largest family of fresh-water fish, with over 2,400 species in about 220 genera.

LOCATION: AC01 Academy Cafe 

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