Clown Rasbora

About

The clown rasbora (Rasbora kalochroma) is one of the bigger members of its genus, with adults reaching a respectable size that demands a spacious, well-planted aquarium. The body carries a warm pinkish to reddish base tone accented by two bold dark blotches on the flanks. A pattern that varies noticeably depending on which part of its range a given population comes from. Some individuals show a connecting row of spot-like markings between those blotches, others display more saturated overall coloration. This variability can cause confusion at the shop, since juveniles are occasionally mixed up with Boraras maculatus, and adults bear a passing resemblance to R. elegans, though that species has a silver rather than reddish body. In the wild, clown rasboras inhabit the blackwater streams and forest rivers of the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Sumatra, often sharing those acidic, tannin-stained waters with a rich community of other small cyprinids and labyrinth fish. They are entirely peaceful and work well in a community setting, provided tankmates are appropriately sized. Keeping a group of at least eight to ten specimens is genuinely important here. Too few and the fish become skittish and pale. In a proper school, males display their richest colors as they naturally compete with one another, making the whole group look far more impressive than a handful of individuals ever would.