Sultan Fish

Under favourable conditions, this species can grow to one metre or more. The scales are uniformly silvery, and the body is elongated with a relatively short head. The pectoral, ventral, anal and tail fins are marked with red, while the dorsal fin is tall and translucent. Because of its body shape, the fish is sometimes called the red-finned cigar shark. It resembles the closely related Hoven's carp and is often sold under the same name.

This species occurs naturally in South-East Asia. It inhabits the lower and middle Mekong River, one of the region's largest, as well as the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong basins. Its natural range covers Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Sultan Fish lives in main river channels, lakes and artificial reservoirs. Young fish typically stay in shallow water, while adults prefer depth. During the rainy season they migrate to flooded tropical forest areas to spawn.

This fish has a peaceful and calm temperament, making it suitable to keep with many large species of appropriate size. However, it will likely regard small fish as potential food.

Because of the potentially large size of adults, a Sultan Fish requires an aquarium of adequate volume. A minimum of 1000 litres is needed for one fish. Décor is not critical, but if possible it is good to recreate a river bottom setting with rocks, large boulders and big driftwood as substrate. Live plants are not recommended, as they will probably be eaten. Since the Sultan Fish comes from flowing waters, it is very sensitive to organic waste accumulation. Maintaining consistently high water quality is key to its long-term success.

This species is omnivorous. In nature its diet includes plant matter, zooplankton and various large aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. It may also hunt small fish. In the aquarium, the Sultan Fish accepts most common dry foods in the form of granules and tablets, as well as fresh vegetables such as peas, beans and potato pieces. Aquatic plants like duckweed, mussels and shrimp can also be included in the diet.

This species does not breed in the home aquarium. Commercial breeding of Leptobarbus rubripinna takes place on large fish farms, where hormonal injections are used to stimulate spawning.

This fish is hardy and disease is rare. Illness is usually caused by unsuitable conditions or poor food quality. When kept in spacious tanks and fed regularly with fresh foods, health problems typically do not occur.

Buying this species requires special care because of its impressive size and specific requirements. Choose only active fish with clean scales and no visible damage, wounds or signs of emaciation. Avoid fish that stay at the surface, show lethargy or have an unusually swollen belly, as this may indicate internal organ problems or parasitic disease. Bear in mind that shops often sell juveniles that look bright and attractive, but they grow very rapidly and need enormous volumes of water. Before purchasing, make sure you can provide a tank of at least 1000 litres, as in smaller tanks growth slows and can lead to irreversible skeletal deformities. It is critical to assess whether your filtration system can handle the high biological load these large fish create.