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Harlequin RasboraRed Rasbora ~ HarlequinFamily: Cyprinidae Trigonostigma heteromorphaLatest Reader Comment - See More Top hero son of smilodon is the name of my fish from the title of the great book. Better than harry potter. Ann mart Harlequin Rasboras are ideal for people usually bored with fish because these fish are always on the move and often have an endearing fiery persona that just radiates attitude!Harlequin Rasbora Contents The immensely popular Harlequin Rasbora is a small, elegant looking fish. In ideal conditions, the fish will be deep maroon pink and their black marking will be dark and appear smooth, though they rarely appear quite so vibrant in aquariums. They are agreeable fish and do fine in most community settings and even better with other cyprinids They aren't aggressive per se but lean towards being a bit boisterous. A school is a must, and the more individuals the better. They like to have some buddies and the more you have the more they curb their egos. You really haven't seen the Harlequin Rasbora until you've seen a school of 10+ individuals in an established tank. They are often popular in planted aquaria because of how the plants set off their color. The Harlequin Rasbora has two close relatives with which it is often confused, the Glowlight or Hengel's Rasbora and the Espei Rasbora To identify them notice some subtle distinctions. The Harlequin Rasbora is pale pink to bright red, and is much stocker than its cousins. Harlequin's black mark is much closer to a triangle shape and will have a noticeably blue tint. The Espei rasbora should be bronze pink in color and be more elongate. Hengel's rasbora should be yellow cream with a thin black side marking toped with a sweep of neon orange. For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see: |
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Habitat: Distribution / Background
The Harlequin Rasbora is pale pink to bright red. It is much stocker than its cousins, and is rather 'tall' with a convex belly area. It has a black triangular shaped marking on the back half of its side, parallel to the gills and with a noticeably blue tint.
- Scientific Name: Trigonostigma heteromorpha
- Social Grouping: Groups
- IUCN Red List: NE - Not Evaluated or not listed
The Harlequin Rasbora was described by Duncker in 1904. In the wild, the Harlequin Rasbora is found in sluggish moving water bodies in South East Asia; specifically Thailand and Indonesia.
- Maximum Size: 1.5 inches (3.81 cm)
- Aquarium Hardiness: Very Hardy
- Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner
The Harlequin Rasbora is an omnivore and should be given a balance of prepared and fresh food. Although live foods are an important part of their diet, don't over indulge them or they may refuse prepared foods.
These fish are fairly hardy and will adapt to most aquarium conditions. They will do best in a spacious aquarium of 30 or more gallons, and more importantly in a long aquarium (36+inches) to allow them to swim freely. They need room to swim around and a tight cover to prevent jumps. Use of hardy floating plants to create shadows and a dark substrate will make them even more stunning.
- Diet Type: Omnivore
- Flake Food: Yes
- Tablet Pellet: Yes
- Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Some of Diet
- Vegetable Food: Some of Diet
- Meaty Food: Some of Diet
- Feeding Frequency: Several feedings per day
- Water Changes: Monthly
- Minimum Tank Size: 10 gal (38 L)
- Substrate Type: Any
- Lighting Needs: Moderate - normal lighting
- Temperature: 73.0 - 82.0° F (22.8 - 27.8° C)
- Range ph: 5.5-8.0
- Hardness Range: 2 - 20 dGH
- Brackish: No
- Water Movement: Moderate
- Water Region: All - The Harlequin Rasbora will swim in all areas of the aquarium they are well adapted to swimming through open water in the middle or upper regions.
Although they have big personalities, they are generally good community fish. They will get along with most fish, but some less active tank mates can't tolerate the fast moving lifestyle of the Rasbora. A school is a must, and the more individuals the better. The Harlequin Rasbora's may chase each other about a bit, but without consequence. They are small and easily eaten by bigger tank mates.
- Venomous: No
- Temperament: Peaceful - Although not aggressive this fish is certainly very active. They may chase eachother around but will rarely do damage. This social fish should be kept in a group of its own kind.
- Compatible with:
- Same species - conspecifics: Yes
- Peaceful fish (): Safe
- Semi-Aggressive: (): Monitor - Should be kept with peaceful community fish only.
- Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Safe - not aggressive
The females will be plumper. The black triangle is slightly more rounded on the males, and the tip will extend further. Females are plumper than males.
Breeding the harlequin Rasbora can be a bit challenging. The water conditions must be optimal, namely soft and acidic for them to be willing to spawn. The male will direct the female to his selected location, almost always the underside of a broad leaved plant. The two will spawn and eggs will stick to the leaf and fry will emerge in a few days. Although they seem to take so much care in depositing the eggs, they seem to forget all of it and will eat their eggs and fry if not removed
- Ease of Propagation: Moderate
The immensely popular Harlequin Rasbora is available basically anywhere, both in stores and online. For this reason, be sure you are buying quality stock. Prices range about $.50 - $4 USD per individual.
Animal-World References
Freshwater Fish and Plants
Tropical Fish ~ Freshwater Fish ~ Aquatic Plants
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