All fish / Cyprinidae

Rummy-nose Rasbora

Sawbwa resplendens

Also known as sawbwa barb, naked microrasbora, asian rummynose, rummy nose rasbora, burmese rummynose, sawbwa rasbora, inle rasbora, ソウブワ・レスプレンデンス, 红鼻剪刀灯, 缅甸红鼻

A small, scaleless cyprinid from Inle Lake. Males turn a shimmering steel blue with a bright red snout and red tips to the tail, while females are plainer silver. It is kept for this unusual colouring and its lively shoaling, and suits planted tanks with hard, alkaline water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

20 to 25 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, cyclops and brine shrimp, plus fine flake and granules

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Inle Lake and its surrounding waters, Shan State, Myanmar

Breeding

It scatters eggs among fine plants or moss and gives no parental care. Spawning happens fairly readily in mature planted tanks, and small numbers of fry often survive if adults are well fed, or eggs can be moved to a separate tank.

Good to know

It needs cool, hard, alkaline water and does poorly in warm, soft conditions. It is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, so captive-bred stock is preferable, and it should not be confused with the South American rummy-nose tetras.