Wrasse are lively, active fish found in most warm seas, though the majority come from tropical waters. They tend to be colorful, displaying elaborate patterning on their bodies.
There are few more diverse invertebrate groups than the mollusks. Marine gastropod mollusks possess a protective shell and a “foot” for locomotion, just like the land snails.
A silvery body and a deeply forked yellowish caudal fin edged with black help to identify Tri-Color Sharks. These active fish are fast swimmers and good jumpers, so they need to be caught with care. As they grow, the females can be recognized by the rounder shape of their underparts. Breeding requires more space than is available in the typical home aquarium. Large Tri-Color Sharks may prey on smaller companions.
The majority of rasboras are shoaling fish, and if they are kept singly in the aquarium, they become shy and nervous. There appears to be some recognition between members of a shoal, since new individuals added to an aquarium containing an established group are unlikely to be accepted readily by the rest of the shoal.
Both “Sharks” and Flying Foxes are popular in the aquarium hobby. The best known are Epalzeorhynchus bicolor (still, incorrectly, known as Labeo bicolor) (Red-tailed Black Shark), whose striking coloration-velvety black body and scarlet caudal fin – is all that is needed to sell it; and Epalzeorhynchus frenatus (formerly Labeo frenatus) (Red-finned Shark, Ruby Shark) which has, as one of its common names suggests, red fins and a dark brown body. The “shark” part of their common name derives from their shape and the manner in which they swim, cruising the aquarium in a sharklike manner, and not from their eating habits! Although popular, they are not ideal community fishes. Both can be quite belligerent and will pick on other fishes, as well as each other, shredding fins and generally bullying them. When fully grown at about 12 cm (4 3/4 in) they can really cause a lot of damage, so keep them only with other fishes large enough to take care of themselves, such as the mediumsized barbs and cat-fishes. True omnivores, they will eat anything.
This group of fishes is one that is, by and large, overlooked by most aquarists, and yet there are a fair number of them in the trade. Inhabiting both still and running water, large shoals can be seen near the surface. They are found in southeast Asia and the IndoAustralian archipelago. In the main they are insectivores, but will take flake foods. Give them a varied diet, especially if you are going to attempt to breed them, and include small live foods or frozen Daphnia, and similar-sized items.
