Red Tail Garra

About

Garra sp. redtail is one of those fish that makes you do a double-take the first time you see it up close. This undescribed species from East Asia. Likely originating from the Indochinese region and often traded under the label G. sp. 'burmanicus'. Has been appearing in the hobby sporadically since around 2005 and tends to carry a higher price than your average cyprinid. The feature that sets it apart immediately is a flexible, proboscis-like projection sitting between the eyes. This structure appears to reflect the fish's internal state. It extends and stiffens during territorial standoffs and apparent courtship activity, and the pale, tubercle-covered underside of the appendage hints that it may serve both visual and chemical signaling roles. The body coloration also shifts noticeably during confrontations, fading as the fish postures and charges rivals. Despite being tagged as aggressive, Garra sp. redtail actually does reasonably well in a roomy community of similarly sized stream-dwelling species, provided it isn't kept alone. A solo specimen tends to fixate on fish of a similar body shape, whereas a group of three or four will direct most of that energy toward sorting out a pecking order among themselves. Like all Garra, it possesses a modified adhesive lower lip suited to clinging to surfaces in fast-moving water, and it scrapes biofilm and organic matter from hard substrates in the wild. Breeding in captivity has not been reported.