Apollo Shark Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Apollo Shark, also called the Apollo Sharkminnow, is a streamlined, powerful cyprinid with a silvery body, a dark lateral stripe and a deeply forked tail. Its torpedo-shaped profile reflects a life spent in open water, where speed is more useful than heavy armour or elaborate finnage. Despite its common name, it is not a true shark and has no aggressive marine-shark characteristics.

The Apollo Shark is native to Southeast Asia, with populations recorded from major river systems and inland waters of the Sunda region, including Sumatra, Borneo and Java. It inhabits tropical freshwater environments associated with flowing rivers and connected floodplain habitats.

A group needs a spacious aquarium of at least 450 litres, with a recommended footprint of approximately 180 by 60 cm; a longer tank is preferable because these fish are fast, active swimmers. Provide powerful but well-oxygenated filtration, open horizontal swimming space, a secure lid and moderate to strong current. Use sand or smooth fine gravel, with sturdy wood, rounded rocks and plants positioned around the edges to create cover without obstructing the central swimming lane. Leave generous clearance above the water because Apollo Sharks can jump.

Up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in adult length; females may grow slightly larger and heavier than males.

Apollo Sharks are active carnivores and insectivores that readily accept floating or slow-sinking high-protein pellets, flakes and wafers, supplemented with frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, chopped prawns and insects. Offer appropriately sized meals rather than relying on a single food, and feed small portions that the group can consume quickly without leaving waste.

Suitable companions include robust, similarly sized Asian barbs, peaceful larger rasboras, bala sharks and other active river fish that can tolerate comparable water movement. Avoid tiny fish, delicate species, slow-moving tankmates and long-finned fish, as Apollo Sharks may chase or consume anything small enough to fit in their mouths and can outcompete timid fish at feeding time. They should also not be mixed with highly aggressive species or fish that cannot cope with their energetic swimming style.

Apollo Sharks are not commonly bred in home aquariums, and reliable captive-breeding reports are scarce. In nature they are believed to be seasonal spawners that scatter eggs among vegetation or other submerged cover. A large, mature group would require excellent water quality, strong swimming space and carefully controlled seasonal conditions; any eggs or fry would need to be separated from the adults, which may eat them.

Sexual differences are subtle. Mature females are generally fuller-bodied, particularly through the abdomen, while males tend to remain slimmer and may be slightly smaller. There are no prominent ornamental differences that make the sexes easy to identify when young.