Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Characins > Red Tail Barracuda

Red Tail Barracuda

Spotted Cachorro ~ Freshwater Barracuda Family: Acestrorhynchidae

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Acestrorhynchus falcatus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   Not your typical Characin, the Red Tail Barracuda is a streamlined predator that is referred to as a Freshwater Barracuda!

   The Red Tail Barracuda, also known as the Spotted Cachorro, has become a more common import in the last several years. It is one of a dozen or so species belonging to the genus Acestrorhynchus. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to see why species of Acestrorhynchus are called Freshwater Barracudas. The slender body shape and a mouth full of sharp teeth says it all. Despite its size, appearance, and behavior however, this fish is not a true barracuda. It is a Characin just like the more familiar tetras, hatchetfish, and pencilfish.

   As long as you are willing to provide live fish as food, the Red Tail Barracuda makes a great aquarium pet. They do get pretty big and being from a river environment, they need a lot of swimming space and clean well oxygenated water. They are a very interesting active fish though a bit on the nervous side. They do best with company and can be kept in a small school or with other companion fish. They will usually do very well with other similarly sized tank mates.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Dream Aquarium Build your own aquarium The Coolest and Funnest Screensaver in the World.

Distribution:
   The Red Tail Barracuda, also known as . the Spotted Cachorro, was described by Bloch in 1794. This species of Freshwater Barracuda is found in many of the rivers of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and throughout much of the Amazon and Orinoco River basins. They inhabit clean flowing waters and are often found in schools.

Status:
   The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
   The Red Tail Barracuda has an elongated body and a mouth full of needle sharp teeth that are usually visible. The body color is an iridescent silvery-gold becoming whitish on the belly. The fins are transparent, sometimes displaying an orange gold tint. The forked tail fin is a more colorful red with a large black spot at the base.

Size - Weight:
   These fish grow to about 11 inches (27 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The Red Tail Barracuda are carnivorous piscivores. They only eat live foods, and they prefer fish! Because this is what they like to eat, a good practice is to setup a small tank to keep a steady supply of small, live feeders available. You can also offer them earthworms, river shrimps, and other good sized invertebrates.
   This is a species that requires lots of space to thrive. Even though they don’t get all that large, a minimum tank size of 50 gallons is necessary to keep them in good condition. They also require good filtration with some current. These are very active fish and will need a great deal of open area for swimming, but they are also a nervous fish that frightens easily. Providing a decor with some tall plants around the perimeter, possibly some floating plants as well, will help make them more secure and comfortable.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   Freshwater Barracudas will spend most of their time near the middle of their home.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Temp: 75 - 82° F (24 - 28° C)
   Ph: 6.0 to 7.5

Social Behaviors:
   In the wild the Red Tail Barracuda is often seen in groups. In captivity this is a nervous fish that frightens easily, companion fish help to remedy this. The ideal situation would be a small school Red Tail Barracudas, or other similar sized occupants. They are not particularly aggressive but will eat any fish that are small enough to fit into their large, toothy mouths. Good tank mates include other similar sized fish, predators or otherwise, Plecostomus, and other bottom dwelling scavenger catfish.

Sexual Differences:
   Unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   This species of freshwater Barracuda has not yet been bred in captivity.See the general description of how to breed Characins in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Red Tail Barracuda is commonly available.

Author: Ken Childs
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS

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