fish · Cyprinidae

Black sharkminnow

Labeo chrysophekadion

Wild range: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins (Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam), Dong Nai (Vietnam), Mae Klong and southern Thai drainages, Malay Peninsula, and Greater Sunda Islands (Sumatra, Java, Borneo/Kalimantan Kapuas); possibly adjacent Myanmar basins; type locality Kalimas/Brantas River, Surabaya, East Java (Asia)

Husbandry parameters

Difficulty: advanced
Adult size: 60.00–90.00 cm
Min tank: 400.0 gal / 1500.0 L
Temperature: 22.0–27.0°C
pH: 6.0–8.0
GH: 2.0–15.0 dGH
Flow: moderate
Water: freshwater
Temperament: aggressive
Diet: omnivore
Swimming: bottom
Schooling: No
Min group: 1
Community: No
Nano: No
Lifespan: 15.0–20.0 yr
Reproduction: migratory egg-scatterer / floodplain spawner; breeds at onset of wet season on shallow sandbars upstream of river bends; eggs hatch as water rises and fry follow inundated riparian vegetation; essentially impossible in home aquaria (hormone-induced pond aquaculture only); albino ornamental form occasionally captive-bred under specialized conditions
Biotope: Southeast Asian large rivers and floodplains (Mekong, Chao Phraya, Sundaland)
Countries: Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Myanmar
IUCN: Least Concern

At a glance: Black sharkminnow care

Compiled reference information. Review the care notes and original sources below.

What temperature is listed for Black sharkminnow?

The compiled profile lists 22.0–27.0 °C for Black sharkminnow (Labeo chrysophekadion). Check the original sources below for context and differing recommendations.

What tank size is listed for Black sharkminnow?

The profile lists a minimum tank volume of 400.0 US gallons (1500.0 liters). Volume alone does not establish suitability; consider dimensions, group size and other inhabitants alongside the full care notes.

What pH is listed for Black sharkminnow?

The compiled profile lists a pH of 6.0–8.0. Review the cited care sources alongside the other water parameters in this profile.

Natural habitat

Large river channels, smaller tributaries, canals, and seasonally inundated floodplains of tropical Southeast Asia; adults migrate onto floodplains to forage on algae, periphyton, phytoplankton, and detritus and return to rivers as waters recede; less common in reservoirs; prefers well-oxygenated water with current (Seriously Fish, FishBase, Practical Fishkeeping).

Where they are found

Catalog primary locked as Labeo chrysophekadion (Bleeker, 1849) per trade, FishBase, Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes (Current status Valid as Labeo chrysophekadion (Bleeker 1849); originally Rohita chrysophekadion Bleeker 1849; type locality Kalimas River, Surabaya, Java; CoF spid 3194; FishBase SpecCode 12102), and IUCN. ITIS TSN 163689 lists the same binomial as valid but gives authorship year 1850 — year discrepancy noted; binomial unchanged. Older synonym Morulius chrysophekadion and Rohita combinations (cyanomelas, polyporos, koilogeneion, pectoralis, barbatula, sima, etc.) kept in aliases. Distinct from smaller trade “sharks”: red-tailed black shark Epalzeorhynchos bicolor (live slug red-tail-shark), rainbow/ruby shark E. frenatum (rainbow-shark), and flying fox E. kalopterus — do not merge. IUCN Least Concern (FishBase cites assessment 2020-04-03; prior Vidthayanon 2012 LC).

Aquarium care

Advanced tank-buster cyprinid unsuitable for typical home aquaria — sold as cute black juveniles that reach ~60 cm SL / up to 90 cm TL and 7 kg (Seriously Fish, FishBase, Practical Fishkeeping, aqua-fish.net, Diszhal). Plan ≥400 US gal / ~1500 L with a long footprint (PFK cites ≥360 cm / 12' length; Diszhal 1500 L floor; aqua-fish.net argues 2500+ L) and very powerful filtration, high oxygenation, and moderate current; weekly 50–70% water changes. Soft sand, caves/wood for juvenile territories, open swimming space for adults; plants usually uprooted. Water: locked 22–27°C, pH 6.0–8.0, GH 2–15 (SF/Diszhal 20–26°C / 6.0–8.0 / 2–15; FishBase wild 24–27°C / pH 6.5–7.5 / dH ≤15; PFK 24–27°C / pH 6.5–7.5; aqua-fish.net 23–27°C / 6.4–7.6 / 9–18°N — locked overlapping practical band). Keep singly; public aquaria or purpose-built private systems only.

Feeding

Omnivorous aufwuchs grazer: algae, periphyton, small crustaceans, insect larvae, and detritus in the wild (Seriously Fish, FishBase, aqua-fish.net, Aquadiction, Diszhal). Offer quality sinking pellets/granules, spirulina wafers, and regular blanched vegetables (peas, cucumber, zucchini, spinach) plus live/frozen bloodworm, Daphnia, and Artemia. Feed 2–3× daily in amounts adults can clear; large specimens produce heavy bioload.

Compatibility

Aggressively territorial toward conspecifics and similarly shaped fishes, especially in limited space; best kept as a loner (SF, Diszhal, aqua-fish.net, Aquadiction, PFK). Only combine with equally large, robust species in vast systems; will harass or kill smaller tankmates. Frequently confused in the trade with the much smaller red-tailed black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor, slug red-tail-shark) and rainbow shark (E. frenatum, rainbow-shark) — different genera and adult sizes; do not treat as interchangeable. Not communitysafe; not nanook.

Breeding

Home-aquarium breeding is effectively impossible (Seriously Fish, FishBase, aqua-fish.net, Aquadiction). Wild fish spawn after first rainy-season storms on shallow sandbars; fry move into flooded grasses. Commercial production uses hormone induction in large ponds. Ornamental albino form has been selectively bred under specialist conditions.

Sources

Compiled from multiple independent care sheets — not copied from a single site.