Chinese High Fin Banded Shark Batfish

Myxocyprinus asiaticus
EXCELLENT COLDWATER FISH!

a.k.a. Chinese High Fin Sucker, Sailfin Sucker, Topsail Sucker, Asian Sucker, Chinese Sucker, Wimple Carp, Freshwater Batfish, Hilsa Herring, Rough Fish, Entsuyui(Japanese)

Size: up to 39" in it's wild pH: versatile 6.4 - 7.8 kH: 4-20, Temp: 55-85F Origin: SE Asia

Food: Green Hair or Filamentous Algae, Black Brush Algae, supplement with New Life Spectrum "Community Formula" or "H20 Stable Wafers" found at Fish Foods

The "Shark" appellation is a fanciful trade name due to some slight resemblance to a shark. This is a temperate (not tropical) water bottom feeder native to the Yangtze river in China. The mature length up to a meter (39 inches) only in it's wild, but it is not known if aquarium kept individuals will survive long enough to reach this size. We have many customers across the country who have raised them in their ponds for many years. The largest we have seen personally is about 18". Here is a picture of some very large Hi Fins at The Beijing Aquarium.

These are very slow moving fish, graceful and peaceful. They are Omnivores (but strongly herbivorous). They feed on benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates and also rasp algae from rocks and logs. But the best thing about these fish is they handle cold water wonderfully, and they eat allot of algae.  We highly suggest this fish as a beneficial part of any ecosystem. Now obviously these fish will not get huge in an aquarium, unless your aquarium is huge, but many people will raise them from young in the house and move them outdoors when they reach  perhaps 6" or more. This is done when the waters outside are above 65 degrees, then let them acclimate naturally to the normal seasons outdoors, they will be fine.

Body shape and coloration changes radically with maturity. Native to moving, cool water streams and rivers, so provide some water movement and well oxygenated water. Feed with sinking algae and plant matter containing foods (algae wafers and pellets, sinking pellets). These are a schooling fish, therefore it would be best to keep them in groups (likelihood of survival without a school not known).

Stocking Info: 1 per 2' feet of pond surface area