Algae Eating Shark?

[wolfnature]

My LFS has some fish that are listed as 'Algae Eating Sharks' that look similar to SAEs. Does anyone know if this is a different name that is sometimes used, or if it is something different?

[Dr.Guppy]

AES, SAE - they've moved the S!!!

I'm kiddin, but I would imagine that if they do looks like SAE's, and apparently do the same job, then they are probably SAE's under a different name.

Hope this helps,
Michael.

[carpguy]

Some of the fish over in that particular branch of the Cyprinid family are sometimes called Sharkminnows. Fish like the Red-Tailed Shark and the Bala Shark are relatives of the Siamese Algae-Eater (SAE), who is also called the Siamese Flying Fox in a lot of places. Its also easy to confuse the SAE with the False Siamese and the Flying Fox.

For true SAEs (http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm#sae):
1) the fins are clear 2) the black stripe extends through the tail and has a jagged edge 3) the scales on its back have dark edges 4) there is either no or an indistinct stripe above the black line.

http://fishbase.org/images/Crsia_u0.jpg

IME when they are freaked out in a fishstore they get paler so that 3 & 4 can be unreliable: the fish gets too pale to see the edging and whatever faint stripe there is gets more pronounced as they get pale.

HTH

[mwood322]

Could also be these. This is a False SAE, Very often shipped as a Flying Fox, or a SAE, which it is not.

http://www.petresources.net/fish/cyprinid/pics/fsaeb.jpg

Also I have seen RTS (Red-Tailed Sharks) eating algae, as well as Flyign Foxes, False SAE's, and almost any Garra species.

--Mia