The
bala shark (
Balantiocheilos melanopterus) is a fish in the family
Cyprinidae, and one of two species in the genus
Balantiocheilos. It is found around the
Malay Peninsula,
Sumatra, and
Borneo. It has a silver body with black margins on the
dorsal,
caudal,
anal, and
pelvic fins. It has big eyes which it uses to find and catch its prey. The bala shark has a maximum length of 35 cm (14 in). Bala sharks are found in midwater depths in large and medium-sized rivers and lakes. They feed on
phytoplankton, but mostly on small
crustaceans,
rotifers, and
insects and their
larvae. The bala shark is listed as a
vulnerable species by the
IUCN Red List, having become rare or extinct in many river basins of its native range. However, large numbers of the species are bred in captivity and exported from Thailand for the
aquarium trade. This bala shark was photographed at
Karlsruhe Zoo in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Photograph credit: H. Zell