Edit Opsarius malabaricus
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Name
Scientific name
Opsarius malabaricus
Described by
Authority Jerdon, Year 1849
Family
Cyprinidae
Common names
Not recorded
Photograph credits
All 3 credited
Summary
Opsarius malabaricus is a cyprinid from southwestern India, known with certainty only from the Payaswini and Valapattanam river systems in …
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
105mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 150 cm, Minimum depth 60 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 18–26°C, pH 6–7.5
Hardness
2–10dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
A shoal or group
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
India, Payaswini, Valapattanam
Writing
Etymology
Opsarius: apparently from an Ancient Greek word meaning 'small fish'. malabaricus: named for Malabar, a region of southwestern India located in modern-day Kera…
Distribution
Probably restricted to southern parts of Karnataka state and northern Kerala state in southwestern India. Following its revalidation in 2015 (see 'Notes') it i…
Habitat
Probably inhabits well-oxygenated, low-to-medium gradient, moderate to fast-flowing rivers and streams with substrates of gravel, cobbles, larger boulders and …
Aquarium size
Requires a large aquarium with minimum surface area of 150 ∗ 60 cm or equivalent.
Maintenance
The aquarium should ideally be designed to resemble a flowing stream or river with a substrate of variably-sized rocks, sand, fine gravel, and some larger wate…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
Barilius spp. are predominantly surface-feeders preying on aquatic and terrestrial insects in nature, with some small fishes and benthic invertebrates probably…
Behaviour and compatibility
Unsuitable for the general community due to its environmental requirements, and likely to outcompete or intimidate slow-moving and less bold species at meal ti…
Sexual dimorphism
Adult females are less-brightly-coloured, tend to grow a little larger and are thicker-bodied than males, especially when gravid.
Reproduction
Unreported.
Notes
Prior to its revalidation (Knight et al., 2015)[5] this species was typically referred to as the congeners O. canarensis or O. bakeri 'orange fin' in the ornam…
References
References
7 on this profile