Scissortail Rasbora

About

The scissortail rasbora (Rasbora trilineata) is a slender, silver-bodied fish whose most recognizable feature is the bold black-and-white banding on its forked caudal fin. The common name comes from a distinctive habit: when the fish pauses, it rhythmically snaps its tail open and closed like a pair of scissors, a behavior you'll notice almost immediately in a healthy group. A close relative, R. caudimaculata, looks similar but shows red in the caudal fin, while R. spilocerca is considerably smaller. So these are useful points to check when identifying what you've actually got. In the wild, scissortails range widely across the Mekong and Chao Phraya river systems, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo, where they occupy surface and mid-water zones in everything from forest streams and canals to flooded fields. They feed opportunistically on insects, small invertebrates, and crustaceans. In the aquarium they are active, fast-moving schoolers that do best in a spacious tank with plenty of open water to cruise. This is a peaceful species that mixes well with other community fish of appropriate size, and keeping a group of at least six brings out noticeably better color and calmer behavior all around. Breeding is achievable for intermediate keepers with a bit of planning, as the fish scatter eggs freely and show no parental instincts.