Indo Tiger Datnoid (Datnioides microlepis) Care Guide
Datnioides microlepis is the largest tigerfish in its genus, a freshwater predator with broad dark bars on a golden body, needing a large tank.
Overview
Datnioides microlepis, the Indonesian or finescale tigerfish, is a predatory freshwater fish with broad dark vertical bars on a golden-yellow body. It is the largest species in its genus and is a slow, deliberate hunter that requires a large tank. (FishBase places this species in the family Lobotidae.)
Taxonomy
- Family: Datnioididae
- Genus: Datnioides
- Scientific name: Datnioides microlepis
- Common synonym: Indonesian Tigerfish
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins of mainland Southeast Asia, the Kapuas basin of Borneo and the Musi basin of Sumatra; Wikipedia emphasises Sumatra and Kalimantan. It occurs in large lowland rivers, lakes and reservoirs with submerged branches and flooded forests, sometimes entering brackish water, and is protected in Thailand.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 600 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Water type: freshwater
Diet
Adults are predatory, consuming crustaceans, smaller fishes, annelids and insects, while juveniles feed on zooplankton. In the aquarium it takes meaty and live foods, fed roughly every two days.
Compatibility
Adults are solitary and aggressive toward conspecifics, whereas juveniles may shoal. Suitable companions are large robust fish such as arowana and big catfish; small fish should be avoided as prey.
Breeding
In the Kapuas River the species is reported by fishers to spawn in April and May.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, though overfishing and pollution threaten some populations.