Red Tail Barracuda ( Acestrorhynchus falcatus )

Red Tail Barracuda (Acestrorhynchus falcatus) has many different names in the market such as Dog characin, spotted Cachorro, amazon Cachorro and freshwater barracuda. The fish of the family Characin is widespread on the banks of the Amazon river, from Peru, rio orinoco in Venezuela and several rivers in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. This fish gets its name from the appearance and behavior of more or less equal Barracuda sea and they sometimes also called pike characin. Although the appearance and behavior of fish like Barracuda but this is not the Barracuda family. For the status of its existence, this fish has not been evaluated in the IUCN Red List status.

Red tail barracuda have an almost normal physical appearance is not even attractive in the eyes as ornamental fish. Slim body shape like a torpedo with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Fish teeth usually appear even though the fish did not open his mouth. The body is golden and silvery fish at the bottom (belly). All colored transparent except for the tail fin. Red fish at the base and a transparent edge. The red color also appears on the dorsal fins of adult fish. This fish has a distinctive black pattern on the base of the tail or the middle of a red tail. Body size of adult fish can reach 25 to 27.5 cm. The female has a body that tend to be larger and fatter than the male.

Fish were married with piranha, is a growing predator in nature. Piscovora carnivorous fish that are typically only prey on the other fish. Fish prey is small, but there are also a source that says that the size of prey can be two or three times larger than his size. This fish is difficult to accept food in the form of a dead fish, frozen fish and even puppies are not considered as food. In other words, the main food is fish life. Some hobbyists tried also to give him dry food with the hope that the fish tank will learn from his eyes. Like most predatory fish, barracuda red tai incompatible with mammalian or poultry meats such as beef and chicken liver. Feeding live fish should be kept in mind. Small fish such as goldfish livebarrier and less appropriate when used as prey because in addition to potentially carry parasites or diseases, nutritional content is also not sufficient to support the growth of the fish. Although fish are piscovora, sometimes the fish that have been preserved will also eat non food fish such as earthworms, crayfish and some aquatic invertebrates that are large.

TAXONOMY
 
Kingdom    : Animalia
phylum       : Chordata
Class          : Actinopterygii
order          : Characiformes
Family        : Acestrorhynchidae
genus         : Acestrorhynchus
species       : Acestrorhynchus falcatus

 
Acestrorhynchus species have a similar appearance but by no means are indistinguishable. Red tail barracuda Acestrorhynchus distinguished from other species of its physical size and the black marking behind the gill cover. Although some of the species Acestrorhynchus also have black markings, but for marking red tail barracuda tend shaped like an upside-down teardrop with a size of about 25% of the width of the body. While the black marking on other species typically measuring more or less rounded. 

Red tail barracuda has an aggressive character and includes a fast swimmer. The dimensions of the tank that is required is a minimum size of 250 cm x 90 cm. Ikanpun Puppies also require a spacious tank because the character is easily nervous and like myself crashing into the glass to be injured if the tank is too narrow. Decorative tank with sand substrate and a few ornaments (wood, tree branches, roots or leaves) will make the fish more comfortable. Aquatic plants that can live in the sand can also be added as Microsorum pteropus, Taxiphyllum barbieri and Anubias spp. Giving lid on the tank sometimes recommended as fish jump out of the tank. Filtration system must be good because the predators, these fish will tend to remove dirt in considerable numbers.  

The process to do weekly water changes to replace the water tank as much as 30-50%. This fish is sensitive to the water content of pollutants that should be left in the water overnight first before being put into the tank. Parameter is the condition of the water tank temperature from 23.9 to 27.8 0C, pH 6.0 to 7.5 and a hardness 1-12 0H. In the wild, red tail barracuda are often seen in groups. These fish are easily nervous that the group will at least mute it. Older fish tend to live solitary but still going to the same group for all times. Conditions ideal for treating these fish are kept in small groups (four tails or more) or with other fish of the same size. Remember that the species in the family are cannibals so acestrorhynchids usually do not mix much with fish of different sizes. Appropriate Tankmate is predator or non-predator like pleco, geophagus, and other important ctenolucius same size.

 
Breeding techniques is still little known information. Breeding can be done at a temperature of 27 0C aquarium by placing two males and one female. The process occurs when females lay eggs swimming in a state of silence and male surrounded by forming a figure eight pattern. Eggs are usually scattered from the parent without custody. The eggs will hatch after 24 hours.