Lam basin

The paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, is a labyrinth fish from China south of the Yangtze, including Taiwan and Hainan, plus Vietnam and Laos. Imported to France in 1869, it was among the very first ornamental fish brought to Europe. Wild examples are uncommon in the hobby since it is farmed extensively, and xanthic, albino, red, blue and stripeless strains exist. Males are territorially aggressive, especially when breeding, and should not be housed together unless the aquarium is very large.

Bagarius rutilus is a sisorid catfish from the Red River and other drainages of northern Vietnam and Yunnan in southern China, possibly also Laos. Reaching 700 to 1000 mm SL, it is clearly unsuitable for the home aquarium, and small numbers are only occasionally exported. It has orange fins in life. Adults live in fast, turbulent rapids in large river channels and perform spawning migrations when rivers swell between March and June.

Elopichthys bambusa is a large predatory cyprinid of eastern Asia, from the Amur River in Russia to the Lam drainage in northern Vietnam. Growing to 2 m and 40 kg, it is entirely unsuitable for the home aquarium, though young individuals appear in the ornamental trade on an irregular basis. The only species in its genus, it is an important food fish over much of its range.