TankBud

Apollo shark minnow

Luciosoma setigerum

Also known as Apollo shark, Long-finned Apollo shark

FreshwaterFish

Apollo shark minnow (Luciosoma setigerum)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Top
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Danionidae
Origin
Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra

Overview

The Apollo shark minnow is a large, fast schooling fish for the surface of a very big tank. It suits a keeper with some experience and a lot of room.

Did you know

The Apollo shark minnow trails a long filament from each pelvic fin. The filaments stream behind it like pennants as it holds station in the current just under the surface.

Caring for the Apollo shark minnow

Plan on a big tank of at least 106 gal (400 L) for the Apollo shark minnow, with two meters of open length. It patrols the top and leaps, so fit a tight lid. Give it strong flow, a dark substrate and floating plants or overhanging cover it can shelter beneath.

Hold the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed floating pellets and meaty frozen foods, and it will also snap at insects at the surface.

Keep a group of five or more, because the pecking order settles in larger groups and no single fish is picked on. The Apollo shark minnow is peaceful toward tank mates too big to swallow. Anything small enough to fit its mouth is treated as food, so pair it only with robust, similar-sized companions. Its breeding has not been recorded in aquariums.

Good to know

Luciosoma setigerum is a slender, pike-shaped predator in the danio family, Danionidae, that hunts insects and small fish at the surface. Valenciennes described it in 1842. The name setigerum means bristle-bearing, after the filaments that give the fish its long-finned look.

In the wild

The Apollo shark minnow cruises the surface of large rivers across the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra. The water there is clear to slightly tannin-stained, with a steady current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Apollo shark minnow is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the top. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Apollo shark minnow need?

An Apollo shark minnow needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does an Apollo shark minnow need?

An Apollo shark minnow is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Apollo shark minnow eat?

An Apollo shark minnow eats floating pellets and meaty frozen foods. It will also snap at insects at the surface.

How big does an Apollo shark minnow get?

An adult Apollo shark minnow reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Does an Apollo shark minnow need a group?

Yes. An Apollo shark minnow is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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