Belontia hasselti – Malay Combtail
Belontia hasselti is also called Malay Combtail. The genus name Belontia is derived from the native name for Belontia hasselti in Palembang: belontja. The species name hasselti is a naming after the Dutch naturalist Johan Conrad van Hasselt.
This species was described in 1831 by Cuvier and Valenciennes.
Description
The Malay Combtail can reach an overall length of about 20 centimeters. They are brown/grubby in color. A dark spot can be seen on the tail root. Males can be aggressive toward conspecifics, including non-breeding females.
Diet
This species is primarily carnivorous. In the wild, they eat small fish, snails and invertebrates. In the aquarium you can feed them with live and frozen food, mussels, earthworms. After some habituation you can also feed them with dry food such as flakes and granules.
Origin
The Malay Combtail is found in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as in Singapore.
Keeping Belontia hasselti
The Malay Combtail is not a fish for beginners. They are very sensitive, and both breeding and keeping them can cause problems. They are extremely peaceful and quiet fish, and are actually best kept in a large dedicated aquarium. A very densely planted tank, with lots of light(preferably also sunlight), frequent water changes, and good filtration are necessary. The temperature should be somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees. The other water values, pH between 6.5 and 8.0, and hardness up to 35 dGH.
Reproduction of Belontia hasselti
It is very difficult to breed these fish, at higher temperatures of 28-30 degrees, and reduced water levels the male builds a foam nest on the surface. Up to 700 eggs are laid, which hatch after 2 days, and after another 1 day of free swimming.
Video
Author
Eric Naus – http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/IGL-NL/ (original website no longer online)
Copyright images
Non Panitvong – Siamensis.org
Michael Lo
