Myxocyprinus asiaticus (Chinese Hi-Fin Banded Shark) (FW)

[Riverfishgirl]

Other names: Freshwater Batfish, Wimple Carp, Chinese Sucker Fish and Hilsing Herring (among others)


Left: My Hi-fin sleeping against a ceramic vase Right: You can see the "Hi fin" on my juvenile but it won't stay that way forever.

Preface
The chinese Hi-fin banded shark is a peaceful and shy fish, native to the Yangtze river basin in China. Because of habitat loss Chinese Hi-fin are on the endagered species list in China. It is not currently known where all Hi-fin banded sharks in the aquarium trade come from. There are rumors of breeders in china, but these are unverified. When buying these fish I strongly suggest that hobbyists ask themselves if they are willing or able to provide the space and adequate care to this fish, possibly reaching a maximum size of 39 inches. Considering the endagered status of this fish in China, please ask yourself if you are willing to put the time, space and effort into growing this fish to its max size, or if you would be comfortable taking a chance on its possible demise. Many aquarists, some of them experienced hobbyists, have not had luck keeping this fish alive into adulthood. You must also realize that as an adult, the Hi-fin loses most if not all of his striking juvenile pattern. The tall dorsal fin shrinks to a mere fraction of it's original size the body often fades to a dull grey. Some even consider an adult Hi-fin ugly, with coloring that does not largely differ from most common carp species. Some pictures of adults show a bright orange fish, but this must depend largely on the diet of the fish and the water in which it lives.

Basic information:
As a river fish, the Hi-fin thrives with a strong current and cooler water temperatures. A chinese Hi-fin is a true suckermouth fish, which subsists primarily on bottom dwelling algae and a few bottom dwelling invertebrates. Chinese hi-fin do not have teeth like other fish and must be provided with soft foods that can be easily sucked into their mouths. Algae wafers can provide nutrition to a juvenile hi-fin, but the food must soften before the fish can start consuming it. Successful feeding has also been reported with krill, earthworms, tubifex and other small and soft foods. I have personally witnessed my juvenile Hi-fin graze on green hair algae, and he eats more every day, but this does not yet seem to be his primary food. Some report their hi-fin consuming flakes, but I haven't personally had success.


Water conditions and temperature:
Hi-fin must have a fully cycled and well established tank to survive and fully thrive. Hi-fin, though seemingly similar to goldfish will NOT tolerate bad water conditions, at least not for long.
As a true coolwater fish, Hi-fin do best in tanks or ponds that range from about 60-72 degrees F, though try to keep the temperature stable. These fish can not tolerate temperatures that drop below 40, or rise above 80 for long. Hi-fin require a current or at the least a high dissolved oxygen content to thrive as juveniles. I would suggest that Hi-fin in the aquarium are provided with a powerhead, or heavy outflow from a filter, as it is their natural behavior to swim against a current. Some will recommend keeping Hi-fin in tropical tanks, however I can NOT suggest this. Hi-fin usually don't survive for long under tropical conditions, though some will live for a few years. Often, keeping them in tropical tanks is suggested for reasons such as: "they will be ugly as adults anyway, so why keep them for that long?", but I can't agree with this sentiment.

Behavior:
Despite their large size Hi-fin are shoaling fish and prefer to be in groups. Most aquarists cannot afford to keep several adult Hi-fin, nor do they have the space, but if you are one of those few I highly suggest doing so.
For those that will only have the space for one, Hi-fin will do almost equally well by themselves or with other peaceful coldwater species. Because of their suckermouth they are not a danger to other fish, even smaller ones and can be kept with a variety of species provided they share the same water and tank requirements. Do not keep Hi-fin with aggressive feeders, they can't compete well for food and seem to take awhile actually finding it.
One of the Hi-fin's odd quirks is sleeping upside down, like a bat. Do not be surprised if you see your Hi-fin hovering against the side of the tank or a decoration, face down, tail pointed at the top of the tank. When the lights go out Hi-fin pretty much become dormant. I've yet to see my Hi-fin move much during the night, and other hobbyists report the same. Hi-fin sometimes exhibit clown loach-like behavior. They will hover on their sides, wiggle at other fish, and sometimes appear to be dead (though this does not happen quite as often).
Hi-fin can change their pattern almost at will. Don't be scared if your Hi-fin is suddenly pale white or dark black, this is not abnormal, though I would still suggest checking water quality, as this can have an effect on their pattern also.
To limit stress and potential injury, be careful when approaching your Hi-fin's tank, they can spook easily.

Tank size:
As a juvenile your Hi-fin will do just fine in a 90+ gallon aquarium for a long time. You may be able to keep your Hi-fin in an aquarium this size for several years, but eventually, assuming you keep your Hi-fin alive, he will need either a MUCH larger tank or even a pond. Tank size requirements should be similar to koi and other large pond fish. 300 gallons at least, and probably more.
For a grow out tank you can go smaller, but this will depend on the current size of your fish.

Length and Lifespan:
As mentioned earlier, Hi-fin can attain an adult length of 39 inches. These fish are slow growers but can live 25 years or more, much like a goldfish. There is not much information on keeping adult Hi-fin since people rarely raise them to adulthood, but they obviously require a very large amount of water and plenty of vegetable matter.
I also have not found many pictures of adults. If you search the internet for pictures of Hi-fin you will find some, but not many and mostly not great quality.
Below I have included a link that has some pretty good pictures of them as adults. As you can see they are VERY large fish, and look nothing like the juveniles you will see in the aquarium trade.

Adult Hi-fin:

http://www.aquarticles.com/images/Ch...0asiaticus.jpg
http://www.aquarticles.com/images/Ch...0asiaticus.jpg
http://www.aquarticles.com/images/Ch...0asiaticus.jpg

(Pics come from this link: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/..._Aquarium.html)

[Aussie_hippie_2]

Very well done RFG!