Thinlip sharkminnow barb

Labiobarbus leptocheilus

Also known as Thin-lipped apollo barb, Sailfin shark

FreshwaterFish

Thinlip sharkminnow barb (Labiobarbus leptocheilus) — (c) Nasser Halaweh, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 8.7 in (22 cm)
Minimum tank: 66 gal (250 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mekong through Sundaland
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The thinlip sharkminnow is a peaceful, grazing schooler that grows to around 22 centimetres, so keep several together in a large aquarium with open swimming room. It moves through the middle water and grazes algae and biofilm from wood and stone with its fine lips. Being gentle, it suits a big community of other calm, medium to large fish, and it will not bother tankmates. Feed a green-leaning diet of algae wafers, blanched vegetables, and quality flake and pellets, plus some frozen foods. A tank of around 250 liters is a sensible floor for a small group of these active grazers.

In the wild

Labiobarbus leptocheilus is widespread in Southeast Asia, from the Mekong, Chao Phraya, and Salween basins through the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, living in flowing rivers and floodplains. A roomy tank with current, driftwood, water-worn stone, and open water suits its grazing, shoaling habits. Keep it warm at 22 to 28 degrees Celsius with pH 6.0 to 7.5, with good oxygen and strong filtration.

Good to know

Labiobarbus leptocheilus belongs to the carp family, Cyprinidae, in the labeo subfamily, and reaches about 22 centimetres, silver with a long-based dorsal fin. Its name refers to its thin, fine lips, which it uses to graze algae and detritus from surfaces. It sits between the barbs and the labeos, schooling like a barb but feeding like a grazing labeo. Aquarium breeding is not recorded.

Did you know

Its genus, Labiobarbus, straddles two aquarium worlds at once: these fish shoal through open water like true barbs, yet graze biofilm from wood and rock with the fine lips of a labeo, the group they actually belong to.

Tank mates

Thinlip sharkminnow barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.