Sarawak rasbora

Rasbora sarawakensis

Also known as Sarawak blue-line rasbora

FreshwaterFish

Sarawak rasbora (Rasbora sarawakensis) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Family: Danionidae

Overview

The Sarawak rasbora is an active, very peaceful schooling fish that looks its best against dark wood and a planted background, so keep at least eight together for a confident shoal. It swims in the middle of the tank and mixes happily with other small, gentle Bornean species. It is not fussy about food and takes flake, small pellets, and frozen or live foods such as daphnia and bloodworm. A planted tank of around 75 liters with open water for swimming and soft, gentle flow suits a group.

In the wild

It comes from clear and lightly tannin-stained forest streams in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, with thick marginal vegetation and moderate light. Recreate that with a planted tank, driftwood, and soft, gently filtered water. Keep the temperature between 23 and 27 C and the pH from 5.5 to 7.0. It appreciates slow-moving water rather than strong current.

Good to know

Rasbora sarawakensis, family Danionidae, reaches about 5.5 centimeters and carries a dark blue-black stripe beneath a thin gold one, which gives it the trade name blue-line rasbora. It is poorly documented in the aquarium literature and reaches the hobby mostly among mixed wild imports from Borneo. Breeding is of moderate difficulty and follows the usual egg-scattering pattern of the genus.

Did you know

Named simply for the Malaysian state of Sarawak where it was found, this rasbora is so little kept that specialists are not even sure how often it reaches the trade, usually arriving by accident among other wild-caught Bornean fish.