| Iridescent Shark Information |
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Although they look
great when they are young,
Iridescent Sharks grow
too big for a regular aquarium. In Asia they are caught in sport fishing.
The Iridescent Shark comes from China. They are known by the scientific
name Pangasius hypophthalmus and Pangasius sutchi. They are best kept in schools
and they need open spaces for moving rapidly.
The Iridescent Shark is actually a catfish and is also referred to as the
Sutchi Catfish.
Comments by LittleHippyGirl:
Iridescent sharks make very poor aquarium inhabitants. I'm assuming that the huge difference in size is because of stunting, similar to goldfish. If you stick a goldfish in a 5 gallon tank, it will probably grow to around 4-5". If you give it an understocked 40 gallon or pond, it has the potential to reach 10-16", depending on the breed. Fish excrete a growth inhibiting hormone into the water, and the higher the concentration, the less growing they will do. This may seem convenient to some people, but it is very unhealthy to the fish, and its life span is usually drastically reduced. A little stunting usually doesn't do too much harm, but stunting a 48" fish down to 12" is
definitely harmful to the fish.
| Scientific Name: |
Pangasius hypophthalmus |
| Family: |
Catfish |
| Temperature: |
22 - 26
C; 72 - 79 F |
| PH |
6.5 - 7.5 |
| Size: |
125 cm;
50
inches |
| Life Span: |
? |
| Breeding: |
Difficult, Egg layer |
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Compatibility:
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Too large for regular aquarium life.
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Tropical fish and aquarium information about freshwater species, fish care,
fish facts, compatibility and aquarium maintenance.
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