Species learning profile

Red-tail black shark

Epalzeorhynchos bicolor

Red-tail black shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) is a freshwater fish associated with river habitat in Southeast Asia. A velvet-black body contrasts with a single brilliant red tail.

Test your recall

Your learning progress stays on this device.

নদীCyprinidae

At a glance

পানি
মিঠা পানি
Habitat
নদী
সর্বোচ্চ দৈর্ঘ্য
16 cm
বিস্তৃতি
Southeast Asia
গোত্র
Cyprinidae
বর্গ
Cypriniformes

Observe

How to identify Red-tail black shark

  • A velvet-black body contrasts with a single brilliant red tail.
  • Guide context: river habitat in Southeast Asia.
  • Reported maximum length: 16 cm — roughly ruler-length. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.

Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.

Place and pattern

Where it lives—and how it behaves

Habitat and range

This species is associated with river habitat across Southeast Asia. Flow, seasonal floods, connected side channels, and access to spawning reaches all shape its river habitat.

Behavior

Defends bottom territories around cover

Food-web connections

What it eats and why it matters

Diet

Algae, detritus, and small invertebrates.

Ecological role

Grazes river surfaces and consumes detritus.

Remember

One fact worth keeping

Red-tail black shark প্রায় 16 সেমি পর্যন্ত বড় হয় এবং সাধারণত নদী-এর কাছে থাকে।

Think like a conservationist

A conservation lens

River fish depend on connected water. Dams, blocked migrations, pollution, and altered flow can matter even when the channel still looks wet.

This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.

Recall

Quick knowledge check

Which habitat is most closely associated with Red-tail black shark in this guide?

Keep exploring

References and further reading

Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.

Make connections