Cambodia - List of fishes

A small surface-dwelling cyprinodontiform, Aplocheilus panchax inhabits calm, vegetated waters of South and Southeast Asia. A predator of insects, particularly mosquito larvae, it plays an important role in regulating insect populations in stagnant areas.

It owes its name of "freshwater shark" only to the shape of its dorsal fin. It behavior and it food have nothing comparable. It acclimates easily to the aquarium.

It has a brighter color than the female. In breeding season, it builds a bubble nest. After courtship and spawning, it collects and keeps the eggs in the nest until hatching. The males are so aggressive towards one another that in the Far East, fights are organized.

A camouflaged species found in flooded forest areas and acidic marshes, Channa lucius is a discreet predator that blends into the vegetation. Although locally threatened, it remains common in much of its range.

Much of it body is transparent. In the rainy season, it takes advantage of the floods to exit the riverbed where it lives to breed. It easily accommodates to life in the aquarium. Its flesh is used for the production of a "fish sauce".

It is not an eel, it owes its name to the shape of it body. It is a nocturnal species and during the day it hides in the sand. It is threatened because of overfishing. In captivity, it must be introduced in a large aquarium where there are no small fish.

It can breathe oxygen from the air, it stays at least half an hour under the surface between two breathes. Its tapered pectoral fins have a tactile and sensory role. Because of its large size, it is not recommended for the aquarium of a specimen.

The Tiger Hillstream Loach is a small fish from central Vietnam. Its large pectoral and pelvic fins form an adhesive disk allowing it to attach to rocks and climb waterfalls. It is vulnerable to overexploitation and dam construction that weaken its environment.