Photo taken at Wharf Aquatics
© Sean Evans
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| Common name: | Siamese Algae Eater, Siamese flying fox |
| Scientific name: | Crossocheilus siamensis |
| Synonyms: | (none) |
| Size: | Up to 6" (15cm), usually 4-5" (10-12.5cm). |
| Origin: | Southeast Asia |
| Tank setup: | Planted community tank, use a tight-fitting lid as these fish have been known to jump out. |
| Compatibility: | Suitable for the community tank, less territorial than some of its look-alikes (see below). |
| Temperature: | 24-26oC (75-79oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Fairly soft, around neutral/slightly acidic (pH 6.0-7.5) |
| Feeding: | Omnivore: Will usually take sinking granular |
| Sexing: | Unknown |
| Breeding: | No reports of aquarium breeding. |
| Comments: |
This fish is a useful algae eater, eating thread algae and the 'brush' algae types ignored by other fish.
They also eat planarians (flatworms) which can become a nuisance in aquaria.
They can be slightly territorial with their own species, so they are probably best kept either singly, or
as a group of 5-6 or more in larger tanks.
This species is sometimes confused with a number of similar species. The Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus) is superficially similar,
although not difficult to distinguish. Two other Crossocheilus species are much closer in appearance: C. oblongus and C. atrilimes.
The black stripe does not extend into the caudal fin in C. oblongus, but does so in C. atrilimes and C. siamensis. C. atrilimes
has a row of faint black dots below the main stripe, and does not grow as large as C. siamensis.
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