THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

substrate egg-scattering fish. Males swim just
behind females and chase away rival males.
Adults spawn 200–300 eggs and scatter them
on plants and on the substrate and eat as many
eggs as possible when finished. The successful
ones hatch in 1 or 2 days and become free
swimming within 48 hours.
Conservation Status: Commercially important
in the aquarium trade, and the more colorful
varieties are in danger of being over-fished.
IUCN listed: lower rjsk/conservation
dependent.
Remarks: Cherry refers to the fish’s red color.
Redstripe Rasbora
Rasbora pauciperforata (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Southeast Asia: Thailand,
Cambodia, Malaysia, Sumatra.
Habitat: Sluggish forest streams, marshes, and
swamps with overhanging and overgrown
vegetation.
Appearance: Max. size: 7 cm. Back olive brown,
body brownish gray, belly white. A bright
stripe runs from the tip of the snout to the
caudal fin. Stripe may be red, deep orange, or
golden depending on diet, condition, or mood.
Diet: Micropredator on small worms,
crustaceans, insects and zooplankton.
Reproduction: Eggs are scattered among
plants, and hatch in about one day. Fry are
free-swimming in 3–5 days. No parental care.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: 3–5 years.
Conservation Status: Not evaluated, but its
habitat is under threat from rubber/palm oil
plantations, building developments, and other
human activities.
White Cloud Minnow
Tanichthys albonubes (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Carps and Minnows
Distribution: Asia: Southern China and
Vietnam.
Habitat: Clear freshwater streams with
vegetation.
Appearance:. Length: c. 2 cm. Elongated
body with upturned mouth; slender, gold
stripe extending from eye to the caudal fin,
with blue/black parallel stripe below. Spot
on caudal peduncle. Males slimmer and more
California Academy of Sciences
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intensely colored.
Diet: Zooplankton, detritus.
Reproduction and Development: Spawning
takes place when male curls the rear of his
body around the female. Eggs are attached
to plants, and not guarded by parents. Easily
bred in captivity.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: 3– years.
Remarks: The species was supposedly first
known from the White Cloud Mountains
near Canton, China. Albonubes means “white
cloud”.
Today the white cloud minnow is nearly extinct
in its native habitat, but because they are easily
are captive bred, they are readily available in
the aquarium trade
Harlequin Rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Thailand to Sumatra, Indonesia.
Habitat: Forest streams.
Appearance: Length to 5 cm. Color pattern
reddish, pinkish or orange body with a
conspicuous black stripe from below dorsal-fin
origin to middle of caudal fin base and usually
broadened anteriorly so as to have a triangular
or hatchet shape. No barbels.
Diet: Feeds on worms, crustaceans and insects.
Reproduction and Development: Eggs
spawned at the underside of broad leaves or
similar structures. Parents do not guard eggs.
Hampala Barb
Hampala macrolepidota (Cyprinidae)
Minnows or Carps
Distribution: Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya
basins, Malay Peninsula and Indonesia.
Habitat: Occurs mainly in clear rivers or
streams with running water and sandy to
muddy bottoms. Found in most water bodies,
except small creeks, torrents, and shallow
swamps. A migratory species which enters
flooded forests. Abundant in the Mekong.
Appearance: Length to more than 70 cm. Black
bar between the dorsal and pelvic fins in adults;
orange to red caudal fin with a black longitudinal,
marginal stripe along each lobe. Scales
silvery-pink with dark trailing scale margins
in adults. Juveniles usually with an additional