The blackline rasbora (''Rasbora borapetensis'') is a fish of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Cyprinidae found in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

in the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annual ...

Chao Phraya 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. E ...

, and

Mae Klong The Mae Klong (, , ), sometimes spelled Mae Khlong or Meklong, is a river in western Thailand. The river begins at the confluence of the Khwae Noi (Khwae Sai Yok) and the Khwae Yai River (Khwae Si Sawat) in Kanchanaburi, it passes Ratchaburi ...

basins, and also the northern Malay Peninsula. In the aquarium trade, it is known by a variety of other names, including red-tailed rasbora, bora bora rasbora, and brilliant rasbora.

Description

The blackline rasbora is a streamlined, silver fish with a dark brown or black, mid-lateral stripe reaching from the

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

opening to the front of the

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

base. Above this line is a gold stripe. The caudal fin is bright red, and unlike '' Rasbora einthovenii'', there is no black pigment. The two sexes look alike, but adult females are slightly larger than males. The fish grows to about in length.

Habitat

The blackline rasbora swims from the midwater level to the surface in ponds, ditches, canals, and reservoir margins of depth or less. It prefers a pH range of 6.5 to 7.0, water hardness ( dH) of 5 to 12, and temperatures between .

In the aquarium

The blackline rasbora is a popular aquarium fish that prefers slow moving water and a heavily planted tank. It is a true

schooling A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

fish and will almost always be observed in a tight school, racing back and forth in the middle and upper aquarium levels. It is a hardy, peaceful fish which can be housed with other peaceful species such as

loaches Loaches are fish of the superfamily Cobitoidea. They are freshwater, benthic (bottom-dwelling) fish found in rivers and creeks throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. Loaches are among the most diverse groups of fish; the 1249 known species of ...

, small and large

tetra Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA; formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio), a European standard for a trunked radio system, is a professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification. TETRA was specifically designed for use by ...

s, livebearers, plecos, and

rainbowfish The rainbowfish or Melanotaeniidae is a family of small, colourful freshwater fish found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea (including islands in Cenderawasih Bay and Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia), Sulawesi and Madagascar. The ...

.Aquarium Board Profile
Retrieved on August 21st, 2008.

Description

Habitat

In the aquarium

See also

_References

References