Stracheyi mahseer

Neolissochilus stracheyi

Also known as Blue mahseer, Burmese mahseer, Blue tor

FreshwaterFish

Stracheyi mahseer (Neolissochilus stracheyi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–79°F (18–26°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 23.6 in (60 cm)
Minimum tank: 238 gal (900 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upland rivers from Myanmar to the Malay Peninsula
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

This is a strong, fast cool-water giant that reaches about 60 centimeters, so it belongs only in very large systems, big show tanks or ponds, ideally in a small group. It swims actively in open midwater and is mostly peaceful for its size, but it will eat much smaller fish, so keep it with large, sturdy tankmates. Feed a varied omnivore diet: sinking pellets, prawn and mussel, plus vegetables and fruit, which it takes readily. Plan on at least 900 liters as a bare minimum, with heavy filtration, strong flow and cool, well-oxygenated water.

In the wild

The stracheyi mahseer holds clear, fast, well-oxygenated upland rivers and waterfall pools from Myanmar through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, over beds of rock and gravel. Recreating that means volume, strong current, high oxygen and cooler water than most tropical fish want, around 18 to 26 degrees Celsius at pH 6.5 to 7.8, with pristine filtration.

Good to know

Neolissochilus stracheyi, the blue or Burmese mahseer, is a large cyprinid reaching about 60 centimeters and several kilograms. It is a long-lived omnivore of the copper-mahseer group, and in Thailand fish of this lineage are among the protected temple fish kept in monastery pools. It is a river spawner not bred in ordinary home aquaria.

Did you know

In the wild these mahseer feed partly on fruit and berries that drop from streamside trees, and in Thai temple sanctuaries whole shoals of related mahseer grow tame enough to be hand-fed by visitors.

Tank mates

Stracheyi mahseer is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.