Common name/s: Black banded leporinus

Scientific name: Leporinus fasciatus fasciatus

Family: Anostomidae

Origin: South America, Amazon basin

Maximum size 12"

Care: As expected due to its adult size the fish requires a fairly large tank, one of at least 75 gallons with a high volume filter is recomended. The fish places no special demands on water parameters as long as the extremes of hardness and pH are avoided, a temperature between 23 and 27 centigrade will be fine (73-81f). The fish are herbivors and will make short work of most aquarium plants although java fern may be left alone. The tank should have many hiding places between rocks and bogwood and a good current. These fish are notorious fin nippers and so tankmates should be short finned and fast moving, when older the fish may predatate on smaller fish so tankmates should be the same size or larger.

Feeding: Should be fed mainly vegetable foods such as lettuce, spinach, courgette (zuchinni) and watercress though the fish will also eat meaty frozen foods and snails.

Sexing and breeding: Unknown

Comments: The fish are aggressive and have no fear of attacking even larger fish in the aquarium, as they grow the front teeth become more prominant and they become capable of inflicting quite serious damage on other fish so tankmates should be semi aggressive and able to defend themselves.