Fishes / Habitat
The bala shark, also called the tricolor shark, is not a true shark at all but a large, torpedo-shaped member of the carp family, sharing only a superficial resemblance and swimming style with real sh
The bala shark, also called the tricolor shark, is not a true shark at all but a large, torpedo-shaped member of the carp family, sharing only a superficial resemblance and swimming style with real sharks. Its silvery body and black-edged fins make it a striking, active fish, and it can reach up to thirty five centimetres, considerably larger than most buyers expect from a fish so often sold small.
Wild populations have declined so sharply from overfishing for the aquarium trade and habitat disruption from dams that the species is now listed as Vulnerable to Endangered by the IUCN and is believed extinct in several of its native river basins in Indonesia and Malaysia. Virtually all bala sharks in the trade today, including in India, are commercially farmed rather than wild caught.
Given its adult size and highly active, schooling nature, a group of at least five needs a very large tank, ideally three hundred litres or more, with a long footprint for swimming rather than a tall, narrow one. A tight-fitting lid is essential, since bala sharks are notorious jumpers, particularly when startled.
It is hardy and tolerant of a range of water conditions, including typical Indian tap water, once given adequate space.
An omnivorous diet of good-quality flakes or pellets, supplemented with occasional live or frozen food and some vegetable matter, suits it well. It is peaceful towards other fish and does best in a proper shoal rather than alone, since a solitary bala shark tends to be nervous and skittish.
Because of its combination of size, activity and schooling needs, this is a fish for a genuinely large, well-planned tank rather than an impulse purchase based on its appealing juvenile size.
Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.
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