Four-bar Tigerfish (Datnioides polota) Care Guide
Datnioides polota is an estuarine tigerfish of South Asia with broad dark bars, tolerating a wide salinity range and reaching about 30 cm.
Overview
Datnioides polota, the four-barred tigerfish, is a predatory fish with broad dark vertical bars on a silver-gold body. It is an estuarine species that tolerates a wide salinity range. (FishBase places it in the family Lobotidae; the name Datnioides quadrifasciatus is treated as a synonym in some sources.)
Taxonomy
- Family: Datnioididae
- Genus: Datnioides
- Scientific name: Datnioides polota
- Common synonym: Polota Datnoid
Habitat
FishBase records the species from India to Indonesia and New Guinea in freshwater and brackish water. It occurs at the mouths of large rivers, in coastal lagoons and lakes, and in rivers above tidal influence.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 500 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 7-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Water type: brackish
Diet
The four-barred tigerfish feeds on fishes, prawns, crabs and some insect larvae. In the aquarium it takes meaty and live foods, fed roughly every two days.
Compatibility
It is a semi-aggressive predator that occupies the middle of the water column. Suitable tankmates include monos and archerfish of similar size; small fish should be avoided as prey.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2019).