Myxocyprinus asiaticus Bleeker. Myxocyprinus asiaticus sinensis, Myxocyprinus asiaticus asiaticus, Chinese High Fin Sucker, Sailfin Sucker, Topsail Sucker, Asian Sucker, Chinese Sucker, Wimple Carp, Freshwater Batfish, Hilsa Herring, Rough Fish, Entsuyui (Japanese).

Family: Catostomidae (true suckers)

The "Shark" appellation is a fanciful trade name due to some slight resemblance to a shark. A temperate (not tropical) water bottom feeder native to the Yangtze river in China. Mature length up to a meter (39 inches), but it is not known if aquarium kept individuals will survive long enough to reach this size. Omnivore (but strongly herbivorous). Hunziker states that "They feed on benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates and also rasp algae from rocks and logs." Described as "peaceful" (Mills), so I would not expect any predatory tendencies. Not recommended for casual aquarium keepers due to large size at maturity. Difficult to raise to maturity in captive conditions. Thought to be incompatible with tropical tank mates due to water temperature needs. Body shape and coloration changes radically with maturity (see quote from Castro, and series of drawings, below). Native to moving, cool water streams and rivers, so provide some water movement and well oxygenated water. Feed with sinking algae and plant matter containing foods (algae wafers and pellets, sinking Goldfish pellets). Appear to be schooling fish, therefore it would be best to keep them in groups (likelihood of survival without a school not known). 

Temperate origin, diet and size suggest care similar to Goldfish. Possibly suited to sharing tanks with Goldfish. Stocking levels for Goldfish (10-30 gallons per fish for juvenile forms) might apply. Possibly suited to outdoor ponds in milder temperate climates, but may be difficult to see due to coloration. 

An endangered species in China due to human development. Source of specimens for the aquarium trade not known.

Drawings from Fang, P.W.

Juvenile, approx. 4 inches long

Sub adult, approx. 20 inches long

Adult, approx. 40 inches long

"The truely unfortunate thing about this species is that by the time it reaches a year in age, it has changed its basic shape from a deep bodied species with a high dorsal fin to a long, slender cylindrical species with a low dorsal fin. Its marvelous contrasting colors fade into a dull blackish brown, and, if properly housed, it continues to its potential length of about 3 feet in length. So ironically, the highly desirable Chinese highfin shark, if it is fortunate enough to survive, turns into a fish that would hardly anyone would give a second look to - a sort of ugly duckling in reverse."

-Alfred D. Castro

It is of dubious ethical value to keep a fish which may outgrow its tank; keeping fish is too small a tank is inhumane. Few (if any) aquarists have the tank space to house this fish at its adult size. If it is unlikely that the fish will reach adult size in an aquarium, this is a moot point. It is also of note that the fish is an endangered species. Since the fish is not really "captive bred" in the aquarium trade, keeping the fish in an aquarium does not contribute to its survival as a species. Aquarist demand for this fish may contribute to its extinction, since juveniles must be taken from its breeding habitat and out of any pool of individuals that are likely to reproduce.

I could not, in good conscience, keep this fish in an aquarium.

• Untitled Document Movies from Lecture 3, Actinopterygian Diversity, has videos of Myxocyprinus eating.
• Fish Capsule Report  Biology class report on Myxocyprinus asiaticus. 
• Aquarium Fish Library: Freshwater Q & A has Ginny Eckstein's comments on Myxocyprinus.
• Precious animal species face extinction News story about how Myxocyprinus asiaticus (here called the "Hilsa Herring") is faced with extinction in its native Yangtze River Habitat. This item reports that it is a food fish (that is, consumed by humans) and that it is anadromous (goes upriver from the sea to spawn). 
• Endangered fish get harbour News item about how a retired solder in China began his own breeding program for Myxocyprinus asiaticus (here called the "Rough Fish"). States that individuals in his initial breeding stock weighed from 6.5 to 14 kg (14 to 30 pounds!). I'm simply not sure how much credence to give the technical information contained in news items (this one and the item above) from China.
• Arachnology Special Offer Description of the China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals, which includes Myxocyprinus asiaticus. 
• Google search: Myxocyprinus asiatius

• Bleeker, P. Notices sur quelques genres et espèces de Cyprinoides de Chine. Nederlandsch Tijdschreift voor de Dierkunde.2: 18-29. 1864. 
• Bruner, John Clay. Bibliography of the family Catostomidae (Cypriniformes). Edmonton, Alta.: Natural History Section, Provincial Museum of Alberta, 1991 OCLC: 24098239 
• Castro, Alfred D. High Fin. [Freshwater Q & A] Aquarium Fish Magazine. Dec 1997, 16-17. 
• Fang, P. W. Notes on Myxocyrinus asiaticus (Bleeker) in Chinese Fresh-waters. Sinensia 4: 329-337. 1934. 
• Hunziker, Ray.  The Mountains of China [The Aquarium   Beautiful] Tropical Fish Hobbyist  September 1994 pp 148 - 155. Review of the "Tranquil Entsuyui" aquarium setup on pages 82-83 of Takashi Amano's book Nature Aquarium World (TFH, 1993). Photo of a subadult form is on page 155 of the TFH article.
• Jackson, L. Notes on the Chinese highfin sucker Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium. 14(10) 1991: 48, 50.
• Liu, J; Chen, J; Yu, Z; Liu, L. Controlled reproduction and broodstock rearing of the Chinese sucker Myxocyprinus asiaticus.  Asian Fisheries Science  8 (3/4): 223-227, 1995
• Mancini, A. The hi-fin China sucker C. myxocyprinus asiaticus Bleeker. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 14(4) 1991: 40-41.
• Mills, Dick.  Aquarium Fish. [Eyewitness Handbooks] NY:   Dorling Kendersly, 1993. p. 230. 
• Robson, M. Up and coming cats. Practical Fishkeeping. April 1992: 16-18.

• Cai M;Deng Z;Yu Z;Deng X;Ma J Observation on the early development of Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus). Freshwater Fisheries 1992(1) No. 165 1992: 8-12, illustr.
• Liu L;Wu G;Wang Z;Yang D. An effect of the Gezhou Dam key water control project on sexual gland development and natural spawning of Chinese sucker Myxocyprinus asiaticus n the downstream below the dam. Journal of the Fisheries of China. 16(4), Dec 1992: 346-356, illustr
• Wu G x;et al. The age and growth of Myxocyprinus asiaticus at Yichang reaches of Changjiang River below Gezhou Dam. Freshwater Fisheries No. 154 1990: 3-8, illustr. 
• Xu, S. Catostomidae. in: Mao, J. & Xu, S. [Eds]. Fauna of Zhejiang: fresh water fishes.  Zhejiang Science and Technology Publishing House, Hangzhou, Zhejiang   Province. 1989: 41-43, illustr. 
• Yu Z;Deng Z;Cai M;Deng X;Jiang H;Yi J;Tian J. Preliminary report on reproductive biology and artificial propagation of the Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus) in the downstreams of Gezhouba hydroelectric project. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica 12(1) 1988: 87-89, illustr. 
• Zhou, L. Study on the techniques of artificial propagation of Myxocyprinus asiaticus. Freshwater Fisheries 25(1) No 183 1995: 31-32, illustr. 

James S. Koga
jskoga@csupomona.edu
Last Updated:
September 05, 2003

• Ott, Gerhard. Myxicyprinus [Myxocyprinus] asiaticus. Ein Catostomide aus China. [Myxocyprinus asiaticus. A catostomid from China.]. Ti 31(1) Nr 145, Februar-Marz, 1999: 37-39, illustr ISSN: 1437-4854 
• van den Nieuwenhuizen, A. Myxocyprinus asiaticus, eine Raritat aus China. Aquarien- und Terrarien-zeitschrift. 43(5) 1990: 294-295, illustr. 

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