TankBud

Variety of Rainbow shark

Albino rainbow shark

Epalzeorhynchos frenatum

The named variety of Epalzeorhynchos frenatum · See the species →

FreshwaterFish

Albino rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
32 gal
120 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Family
Cyprinidae

Overview

Shops list it as albino rainbow shark, albino ruby shark or albino red-finned shark, usually as small juveniles. It is usually described as a white or cream fish with orange to red fins. Unpigmented eyes cope poorly with bright light in albino fish generally, so leave shaded spots under wood or plants. Care sheets describe the same territorial temperament as the standard fish, so the albino is a color change and not a calmer shark.

In the wild

Where the albino line started is not recorded, and no breeder or date has been published for it. The fish in shops come from commercial farms in Thailand and other countries, since wild-caught rainbow sharks are effectively absent from the trade. The pale form is a captive mutation and is not something you would find in the species' rivers. A farmed anerythristic line also exists, with pale yellowish fins, and it has sometimes been mistaken for Epalzeorhynchos munense.

Good to know

Albinism strips melanin, so the gray body pigment is gone and the eyes look pink or red where blood shows through. The fins stay red because that color comes from separate pigment cells carrying carotenoid and pteridine pigments rather than melanin. Albinism in ornamental fish is usually recessive, so pairing albino to albino breeds the form true.

Did you know

The fluorescent GloFish sharks that Spectrum Brands announced on January 15, 2018 were built on this albino form, not on the dark wild-type fish. Under the added fluorescent color they are the same white-bodied, red-finned fish that shops sell plainly as an albino rainbow shark.

Common questions

Is an Albino rainbow shark a different species from the Rainbow shark?

No. An Albino rainbow shark is a variety of the Rainbow shark, Epalzeorhynchos frenatum, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does an Albino rainbow shark need?

An Albino rainbow shark needs at least 32 gal (120 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

How big does an Albino rainbow shark get?

An adult Albino rainbow shark reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Related species