Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Cyprinidae / Black sharkminnow
No federal permit to keepBlack sharkminnow
Labeo chrysophekadion
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Cyprinidae (Carps and barbs)
The black sharkminnow (Labeo chrysophekadion), also known as the black shark or black labeo, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 180 in long and 72 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 35.4 in / 90 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 75–81°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6.5–7.5.
- Hardness: 0–15 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A grazer on plants and algae: base the diet on vegetable foods (algae wafers, blanched vegetables, spirulina). FishBase classes it as a herbivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–79 °F, pH 6–8, 2–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament territorial; kept alone; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “A large, mature filter system, rigorous maintenance regime comprising weekly water changes of 50-70% tank volume, and provision of highly-oxygenated water with a degree of movement should be considered mandatory.”
- Diet: “Primarily an aufwuchs grazer feeding on algae, small crustaceans, insect larvae, etc., and for it to develop its best colours and condition it should be offered regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Daphnia and…”
- Tankmates: “This species can be belligerent and aggressively territorial towards conspecifics and similarly-shaped fishes, especially when space is limited.”
- Breeding: “Breeds on a seasonal basis in nature, at the onset of the wet season.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Carps and barbs
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: The listed barbs and freshwater sharks occupy Asian streams, rivers and floodplain waters, with bala sharks also using natural lakes. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Tiger barbs need a base at least 80 × 30 cm (about 31 × 12 inches), with vegetation and driftwood cover.
- Adult bala shark groups need a base at least 240 × 60 cm (about 96 × 24 inches), ample open swimming space and a heavy, tight lid.
- Red-tailed black sharks need a base at least 120 × 45 cm (about 48 × 18 inches), with rocky refuges.
- Use efficient filtration, water movement and high oxygenation for riverine bala and red-tailed sharks.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 68–78.8°F |
Diet
- Quality flakes or granules containing plant material.
- Live or frozen Daphnia, Artemia and bloodworms.
- For larger bala sharks: chopped earthworms, prawns or mussels.
- For bala sharks: shelled peas, blanched courgette or spinach.
Social life
- Keep tiger barbs in at least 8–10 and bala sharks in at least five. Avoid timid or long-finned companions for tiger barbs. Red-tailed black sharks become territorial toward similar-looking fishes.
Health watch
- Ammonia toxicity.
- Nutritional deficiencies.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is found in the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Borneo. It can reach a length of 90 cm (3 ft) and a weight of 7 kg (15 lb).
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Black sharkminnow” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams, lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Occurs in rivers, streams, canals and inundated floodplains. Sometimes seen in impoundments, but not in great numbers. Like other planktivorous and detritivorous carps, it begins spawning after the first thunderstorms of the coming rainy season. It spawns upstream from shallow sandbars that line long river bends. The eggs settle out in the shallow water and hatch just as water levels begin to rise following the initiation of seasonal rains. The fry immediately move into inundated grasses along the bank and continue to follow the leading edge of the advancing water as floodwaters spread over the land. Adults also migrate out into seasonally flooded areas where they feed on algae, periphyton, phytoplankton and detritus. They return to rivers from October to December. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 75–81 °F (24–27 °C), pH 6.5–7.5, hardness 15 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Grazing on aquatic plants. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 75–81 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 94°F (up to 98°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 66°F (down to 56°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 77–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 71–75% on average (driest month about 64%) |
| Rainfall | about 1434 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons |
Measured at 78 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The black sharkminnow (Labeo chrysophekadion), also known as the black shark or black labeo, is a species of freshwater fish in the carp family. It is found in the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Borneo. It can reach a length of 90 cm and a weight of 7 kg. It is sometimes seen in the aquarium trade, but is generally unsuitable for home aquaria due to its large adult size and territorial, aggressive behavior. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Occurs in rivers, streams, canals and inundated floodplains. Sometimes seen in impoundments, but not in great numbers. Like other planktivorous and detritivorous carps, it begins spawning after the first thunderstorms of the coming rainy season. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Phlogacanthus pulcherrimus Leaf Extract as a Functional Feed Additive: Influences on Growth Indices, Bacterial Challenge Survival, and Expression of Immune-, Growth-, and Antioxidant-Related Genes in Labeo chrysophekadion (Bleeker, 1849) Sookying S et al., Life (Basel, Switzerland) 2025
- Phytochemical Profiling, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Persicaria odorata Ethanolic Leaf Extract and Evaluation of Growth Performance, Disease Resistance, and Gene Expression in Labeo chrysophekadion (Bleeker, 1849) Sookying S et al., Animals: an open access journal from MDPI 2026
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish — Puntigrus tetrazona Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — Balantiocheilos melanopterus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — Epalzeorhynchos bicolor Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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