Red Tail Black Shark Fish
They have a long and thin body that is shaped very much like a torpedo.
Red tail black shark fish. Their official name is epalseorhynchos bicolor. Native to thailand the red tail shark inhabits the streams in the inland waters of thailand. It is endemic to thailand and currently critically endangered but common in aquaria where it is prized for its deep black body and vivid red or orange tail.
It is not closely related to sharks. The red tailed black shark is a popular fish and often mistakenly bought for smaller community aquariums where it often becomes an aggressive bully chasing other fish to the point where they become stressed and ill. Their body is black and their tails are bright red their dorsal fin begins roughly halfway back on their body hence why they are mistaken for actual sharks.
Despite this the red tailed black shark is well suited to a community of larger robust fish where it should not cause any problems. The red tail black shark falls into the same family as carp and minnows. It is often referred to by other names like the red tailed shark red tailed black shark fire tail shark and red rail shark minnow.
The red tailed black sharks seen in the aquarium trade today are all captive bred. It was found in the clear waters and floodplains in the menam chao playa basin however due to excessive poaching it was thought to have become extinct. The red tail shark epalzeorhynchos bicolor is a freshwater fish that is found in thailand.
For a few years the red tail shark was thought to be extinct in the wild and existing only as captive fish. The red tail shark is also known as red tail black shark red tail minnow shark and the fire tail.