I guess this is a question for the ichthyologists out there. I want to get some Bala sharks, but why are they called sharks? Just because they look a lot like sharks, or because there is something that classifies them in the "shark" family? The only true sharks I know are marine and have cartilage where there is usually bone. Thanks for any info!!
Why is the Bala a "shark"??
- Thread starter GTK
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bala sharks not classified as sharks. in fact, they're not anymore related to true sharks than are goldifsh. someone just thought they looked like sharks, hence the name.
caution: bala sharks get to a foot in length and require a school of at least 4-5 other sharks to live with. because of this, balas ultimately need a six-foot aquarium to live in. otherwise, their growth will be stunted, and they will die very early. they also tend to get exceptionally stressed in small tanks and will (a) try to jump out and (b) smash themselves into the aquarium walls to the point of significant injury.
caution: bala sharks get to a foot in length and require a school of at least 4-5 other sharks to live with. because of this, balas ultimately need a six-foot aquarium to live in. otherwise, their growth will be stunted, and they will die very early. they also tend to get exceptionally stressed in small tanks and will (a) try to jump out and (b) smash themselves into the aquarium walls to the point of significant injury.
I certainly have no scientific reasoning for WHY they are called "sharks" but if I had to guess, it could be because they look like sharks (much smaller of course!) and can be rather aggressive. 
Okay, thanks for the replies. You've verified what I suspected, but I wanted to make sure since I knew friends would ask. Yes, I have a big tank. By the way, I'm a former resident of Gainesville, FL too.
From what I remember, biology didn't have anything to do with the naming of the bala shark. Like many of the small freshwater sharks it was named by people who discovered the fish and thought it was a shark. Looks like one so it must be one. The scientific name of the bala indicates its not a shark, but science has little to do with perception in this case. Thus its a bala shark and not just a bala. Just a thought. Wonder if LFS would sell as many bala sharks if the name shark wasn't added on the end?
They look like sharks. Balas are actually a type of barb I think.
Which sounds cooler:
Bala Shark
Bala Barb :shake:
Which sounds cooler:
Bala Shark
Bala Barb :shake:
From what I have read/heard Bala's are actually apart of the carp family...someone correct me if I am wrong.
i believe they are cyprinids, which would make them somewhat closely related to carp and barbs, yes?
