All fish / Acestrorhynchidae

Red Tail Freshwater Barracuda

Acestrorhynchus falcatus

Also known as freshwater barracuda, red tail barracuda, red-tail pike characin, spotted tail barracuda, pike characin, falcatus barracuda, biara, アケストロリンクス・ファルカツス, 红尾狗鱼, 红尾梭

This is a slim, silvery predatory characin with a long, pointed snout full of sharp teeth, a dark spot at the base of the tail and reddish tones in the fins. Keepers of large predator tanks prize it for its sleek, pike-like look and fast hunting behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.2

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly or a small group of similar-sized fish in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen fish, prawns, earthworms, large insects; can be weaned onto meaty pieces

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon, Orinoco and Guiana Shield rivers: Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana

Breeding

It is an egg-scattering species with no parental care. Captive breeding is essentially unknown, so aquarium fish are wild-caught.

Good to know

It eats any fish small enough to swallow and is very skittish, often injuring itself on the glass, so use a long, covered tank with calm, robust tankmates. It is often hard to wean off live fish.