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The red-tailed black shark (''Epalzeorhynchos bicolor'';
syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...
''Labeo bicolor''), also known as the redtail shark and redtail sharkminnow, is a species of
freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...
in the carp family,
Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest vert ...
. Despite its name, it is more closely related to carp. It is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and currently critically endangered, but common in aquaria, where it is prized for its deep black body and vivid red or vivid orange tail. The red-tailed black sharks seen in the aquarium trade today are all captive bred.


Distribution

The species is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, and was described by Hugh M. Smith in 1931 as being 'not uncommon in Bueng Boraphet and the streams which lead from it, and as being found in the
Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Et ...
as far south as
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...
. A 1934 expedition reported catching a specimen in the
Silom Si Lom Road (also written as Silom, th, สีลม, ) is a major street in the Thai capital Bangkok, best known for its commercial neighbourhood, which, along with the nearby and roughly parallel Sathon Road, forms one of the city's main bus ...
canal. As of 2011 it is only known at a single location in the Chao Phraya basin and has Critically Endangered status on the
IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
. From 1996 until 2011 it was believed to be
extinct in the wild A species that is extinct in the wild (EW) is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as known only by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due t ...
. There is no evidence that collection for the aquarium trade is responsible for the species' decline, and it is more likely that the construction of dams and draining of swamps that took place during the 1970s was to blame.


In the aquarium

In the aquarium trade, tail colors can vary, with bright red and vivid orange being the most common. If the shark is stressed or unhealthy, the red color will drain from its tail. Albino forms may also be encountered.


pH and water temperature

In home aquaria, redtail sharks prefer a pH between 6.8 and 7.5, a temperature between 22 °C and 26 °C (72 °F and 79 °F) and
water hardness Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum, which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbo ...
between 5 and 15 dH.


Behavior

Typically they are aggressive chasers, but will rarely bite or harm other fish. Individual personalities vary greatly—some are calm, while others are rather aggressive towards tank mates. They are bottom dwellers and like lots of dark hiding places. They get along with gourami, barbs, D danio, catfish but they do well with other sharks when they're young. When two redtails cohabitate, they have been known to become territorial with each other as they mature. One shark will become dominant and will continually chase and harass the submissive shark. Larger groups of five or more, surprisingly, tend to get along much better than two or three, as they will establish a stable hierarchy; such a group will require a very large heavily planted aquarium, however. Redtail sharks are considered compatible in some community tanks when young but when mature they may chase docile or peaceful fish who present a large target (such as the '' Metynnis argenteus'', or "silver dollar" fish); similar sharks can be chased but sometimes resulting in no physical damage. r Redtails do not typically bite or injure other fish, but will chase them. They will mostly chase fish away from their territory and then retreat; therefore, it is important to ensure the aquarium is large enough to allow the redtail some space to call its territory. Aquariums should be at least 170 litres (45 gallons) when a red tail shark is mature but when young probably a 10-20 gallon aquarium or larger for a comfortable community. Redtails are bottom dwellers. Despite this, it is often reported that they do not generally harass loaches, such as '' Chromobotia macracanthus'', and may even exhibit schooling behavior with them.


Size

Red-tailed black sharks can reach a length of .


Footnotes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:shark, black, red-tailed
red-tailed black shark The red-tailed black shark (''Epalzeorhynchos bicolor''; syn. ''Labeo bicolor''), also known as the redtail shark and redtail sharkminnow, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Despite its name, it is more closely relate ...
Fish of Thailand Endemic fauna of Thailand Taxa named by Hugh McCormick Smith
red-tailed black shark The red-tailed black shark (''Epalzeorhynchos bicolor''; syn. ''Labeo bicolor''), also known as the redtail shark and redtail sharkminnow, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Despite its name, it is more closely relate ...