Shark tint
| Shark tint | ||||||||||||
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Shark teal ( Balantiocheilos melanopterus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Balantiocheilos melanopterus | ||||||||||||
| ( Bleeker , 1851) |
The shark barbe ( Balantiocheilos melanopterus ) is a species of fish from the carp family (Cyprinidae). It grows up to 40 cm long and has a life expectancy of nine to ten years. Shark barbs as early as 13 years old have been observed.
The fish is threatened with extinction in many areas and is on the Red List of Endangered Species .
Occurrence
The shark barbe lives in larger rivers and lakes in Thailand ( Mekong and Chao Phraya basins), Laos and as far as Malaysia and Indonesia . It prefers the open water zone with a clear ground orientation.
features
Shark tins are reminiscent of sharks in their appearance with their slim body shape and the pointed dorsal fin . They are black-gray to blue-black with silver scales, elongated and streamlined, strongly flattened on the sides.
The edge of the eye (iris) is light, the pupil looks black. When a flashlight is shone into one eye, the pupil is green. The pupil is almost round. The clear lens above is more oval. The eyes are posable and can be moved about 30 degrees in any direction.
Fins
The fins are strikingly large and extended. The dorsal fin is the largest fin and, like the caudal fin, is notched, narrow and elongated. The colors of the fins are interesting: sometimes golden yellow, almost transparent and lined with a wide, deep black band at the back. The two pelvic fins sit laterally downwards like an inverted V on the body and are drawn with the same deep black line at the rear ends. The anal fin is slightly wider. All fins except the caudal fin have something like a hard bone in front, which is moved by a muscle. This allows these fins to be drawn in, i.e. attracted to the body. This is what the shark barbel does when it wants to swim fast and does not need these fins for steering. At the front, of course, the shark barbs have control fins with which the balance is kept when they are almost at a standstill. It is interesting to observe the swimming behavior, especially of the young shark barbs: there is a jerky movement, presumably to save energy.
Shark tins shine silver, in the light reflect the individually separated scales, which are brightly edged. Some shark tubs are more silver, only in the back area they reflect light a little golden.
Fin formula: dorsal 4 / 8–9, anal 3/5, pectoral 1/15, ventral 2 / 8–9.
Gender differences
In shark barbs that are 2 to 3 years old and 20 cm to 30 cm long, the sexes can be differentiated. Males are slimmer, the females 1 to 2 cm taller and stockier.
Way of life
Shark fishes are schooling fish . The shark barbs have a benthopelagic way of life, they like to stay near the ground and dig there in the sand for food.
use
The shark barbs are used in their home in rice fields to control insects. Farmers like to eat them from a length of 30 centimeters.
literature
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 2002, ISBN 3-89350-991-7 .
- Hans A. Baensch , Rüdiger Riehl : Aquariums Atlas. 15th edition. Volume 1, Mergis Verlag, Melle 2006, ISBN 3-88244-227-1 .
- Günther Sterba (Ed.), Gert Brückner: Encyclopedia of Aquaristics and Special Ichthyology. Neumann-Neudamm, Melsungen u. a. 1978, ISBN 3-7888-0252-9 .
Web links
- Shark barbe on Fishbase.org (English)
- Shark tint in the ornamental fish directory
- Shark bar at www.aquarium-guide.de
- Balantiocheilos melanopterus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Kottelat, M., 1996. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.zooundco.de ( Memento of the original from December 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ www.aquarium-bbs.de
- ↑ www.iucnredlist.org
- ^ Definition of schooling fish
