All fish / Prochilodontidae

Flagtail Prochilodus

Semaprochilodus insignis

Also known as flagtail prochilodus, kissing prochilodus, silver prochilodus, flag tail characin, flagtail characin, prochilodus insignis, flagtail, フラッグテール・プロキロダス, 旗尾鲮脂鲤

This is a deep-bodied silver characin with a tail striped in bold black and yellow bands and fleshy lips used to graze algae and detritus. People keep it in big community tanks with large cichlids and catfish because it is striking, hardy and peaceful.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Small group of 3 or more in a very large tank

Diet

Herbivore: algae wafers, blanched vegetables, spirulina and sinking pellets, with some small live or frozen foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador

Breeding

In the wild it migrates in huge shoals and scatters eggs in floodwaters at the start of the rainy season. It has not been bred in home aquariums and every fish in the trade is wild caught.

Good to know

It is sold as a small juvenile but grows to around 30 cm and is a powerful, jumpy swimmer, so it needs a very large, tightly covered tank. It will strip soft plants and often looks very like Semaprochilodus taeniurus.