Ogilbie's osteobrama

Rohtee ogilbii

Also known as Vatani, Deccan osteobrama

FreshwaterFish

Ogilbie's osteobrama (Rohtee ogilbii) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–81°F (20–27°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank: 66 gal (250 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Krishna and Godavari basins, peninsular India
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

This deep-bodied silver cyprinid is a peaceful, active schooling fish, so keep it in a group of at least six; there is no limit on numbers and it feels safest in a shoal. It swims mainly in the middle water and flashes bright on the turn. It is peaceful and mixes easily with other calm river fish of similar size, such as larger danios, rasboras, or peaceful barbs and loaches. It is an unfussy omnivore that takes flakes, sinking pellets, and frozen foods like bloodworm and brine shrimp. Being a fast, larger fish, it needs swimming room, so give it a long tank of around 250 liters or more.

In the wild

Rohtee ogilbii lives in rivers of peninsular India, in the Krishna and Godavari systems that drain the Western Ghats. It suits a roomy river-style tank with open swimming space, a substrate of sand or fine gravel, some water-worn rock and driftwood, and steady flow. It tolerates a fairly wide range, doing well from about 20 to 27 C with neutral water, a pH of roughly 6.5 to 7.8. Clean, oxygen-rich, moving water keeps this active shoaler in condition.

Good to know

Rohtee ogilbii is a cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae and the only species in its genus, reaching about 20 centimeters. It has the deep, flattened, bream-like body that gives it its trade names, silver with a sharp keel along the belly. It was described back in 1839 and has been shuffled between several genera before settling in its own. Its breeding habits in the wild are poorly documented, and it is not known to have been bred in aquaria.

Did you know

It is the only species in its genus, a one-of-a-kind bream-shaped minnow from the rivers of the Deccan, first described in 1839 and never comfortably grouped with any close relatives since.

Tank mates

Ogilbie's osteobrama is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.