THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

Tinfoil Barb
Barbonymus schwanenfeldii (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins,
Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.
Habitat: Rivers, streams, canals and ditches.
Also enters flooded fields.
Appearance: Large individuals silvery or golden
yellow, dorsal fin red with a black blotch at
the tip; red pectoral, pelvic and anal fins; red
or orange caudal fin with white margin and
a black submarginal stripe along each lobe.
Length to 35 cm.
Diet: Largely herbivorous, consumes aquatic
plants and submerged land plants as well
as filamentous algae. Occasionally feeds on
insects, worms, crustaceans and small fishes.
Reproduction and Development: Spawns
seasonally in winter. Fertilization external. Do
not guard eggs.
Remarks: Caught by subsistence and
commercial fishers; raised in aquaculture.
Usually marketed fresh. Also marketed live
for the aquarium trade.
Celestial Pearl Danio
Celestichthys margaritatus (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Asia: Myanmar. Also reported
from Thailand.
Habitat: Inhabits small, shallow seepage and
spring-fed ponds with luxuriant vegetation.
Appearance: Body is covered with small,
pearly dots. Gill covers are transparent and
reveal the blood-red gills. Fins are patterned
with black and red lines. Males more brightly
colored than females. Max. length: 2.1 cm
Diet: Omnivorous.
Reproduction and Development: After a
courtship ritual, spawning takes place with
eggs laid in vegetation.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: 3 years.
Conservation Status: Because travel in
Myanmar is restricted by the government,
IUCN has not evaluated this fish’s status. In
2007, Myanmar’s Department of Fisheries
identified a number of new locations where
populations have been found, and some
involved with the export trade reported that
people in rural areas were making significant
income from the sale of C. margaritatus.
California Academy of Sciences
105
Hopefully, captive breeding by aquaria and
hobbyists, which has been successful, will take
pressure off of wild population.
Remarks: This handsome small species was
first discovered in 2006, and has since become
quite popular in the aquarium trade.
Siamese Algae-eater
Crossocheilus siamensis (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Mekong, Chao Phraya and Xe
Bangfai basins; Malay Peninsula.
Habitat: Found at bottom depths in streams
and rivers. Moves into flooded forests during
periods of high water.
Appearance: Dorsal side brown, ventral white;
black, wide longitudinal stripe on the side.
Length to 16 cm.
Diet: Algae, phytoplankton and periphyton
(layer of small plants and animals attached to
surfaces projecting above the substrate).
Reproduction and Development: Likely
spawns in flooded forests.
Koi aka Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Probably native to the Danube
River; has been introduced world wide.
Habitat: Favor large freshwater bodies with
slow-flowing or standing water and soft
bottom sediments. Koi thrive in large turbid
rivers.
Appearance: Length to 1.2 m. Weight to 37.3
kg. Coloration ranges from grey to bronze;
the back is dark, the sides lighter, ventral side
even lighter. Paired fins are slightly red during
the spawning period. That said, individuals
are highly variable in form, proportions,
development of fins, and color. Coloration
is reportedly brighter in koi from rivers and
darker in those that inhabit muddy pools.
Wild carp usually have a less stocky build than
aquafarmed individuals.
Diet: Omnivorous. Feed primarily on aquatic
insects, crustaceans, annelids, mollusks, seeds
of weeds and trees, wild rice, aquatic plants
and algae. Gather food mostly by grubbing in
sediments.
Reproduction and Development: Spawn
during spring and summer in temperate