Tag Archive: minnows


1-16-15 Cherry Barb from Ron’s Freshwater Series

Filed under: FRESH WATER FISHES, RAINFOREST BORNEO — Leave a comment
January 16, 2015

TAXONOMY:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Cypriniformes (Carps)
Family: Cyprinidae (Minnows or Carps)

Genus/species: Puntius titteya

3729700826_694a261026_b

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: An elongated fish with a compressed body, fawn-colored on top with a slight greenish sheen. Sides and belly have silver highlights with a horizontal stripe extending from the tip of the snout through the eye to the base of the caudal fin, with an iridescent, metallic line above it. Males are redder than females and attain a deeper red color at breeding time. Females are usually yellow and they are much lighter in color, usually just with some yellow and a light orange/black horizontal band. The female is also a lot plumper than the male. Cherry refers to the fish’s red color. Max. length: 5 cm (2 inches).

Male above and female below.

Cherry Barb (female) 3750942153_ca01fdd6c8_b

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Native to Sri Lanka with introduced populations established in Mexico
and Colombia. Found in heavily shaded streams and rivulets, preferring shallow, slow-moving water with silt substrate and leaf cover.

DIET IN THE WILD: Omnivorous, detritus, green algae, diatoms, dipterans and animal matter.

REPRODUCTION: Most small cyprinids Puntius spp. are egg-scattering free spawners exhibiting no parental care.

CONSERVATION IUCN: Least concern

BO09 Rainforest Borneo Southeast Asia Community

References

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Puntius-titteya.html

Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/212437/details

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3729700826/in/set-72157620567930293/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-17f

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1-2-15 Redtail Black Shark Minnow from Ron’s Freshwater Series

Filed under: FRESH WATER FISHES, RAINFOREST BORNEO — Leave a comment
January 2, 2015

TAXONOMY:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae (Minnows or Carps)

Genus/species: Epalzeorhynchos bicolor

Redtail Black Shark Minnow 4472041343_d9431913da_b

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Deep velvet-black body and bright red caudal fin. Two fleshy projections (barbels) extend from the edges of the mouth Max. length: 15 cm (6 inches).

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Originally from the Mae Klong River in Thailand. Found in the middle and bottom levels of freshwater streams and rivers, especially areas with rocks and/or plants for resting and hiding.

Redtail Black Shark Minnow 5170275837_91ba6445e9_b

DIET IN THE WILD: Omnivorous, primarily a bottom-feeding scavenger.

REPRODUCTION: E. bicolor spawns in rocky caves, and the young hatch after 30 to 60 hours. Four days after hatching, the young are free-swimming, but do not develop the characteristic red tail until seven to ten weeks old.

CONSERVATION: IUCN: Critically Endangered (CR)
Habitat alteration; during the 1970s contributed to its decline. Captive bred in Thailand for aquarium export trade.

LONGEVITY: 5-8 years.

REMARKS: In spite of its common name, most likely a reference to its streamlined, torpedo shape, it is not a shark. Related to carp.

Location: Borneo

References

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Epalzeorhynchos-bicolor.html

Encyclopedia of life  eol.org/pages/1015624/details

 ARKIVE  http://www.arkive.org/redtailed-black-shark/epalzeorhynchos-bicolor/

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608614099673/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-16X

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