Espei Rasbora

The espei rasbora, also called the pork chop rasbora, is a hardy cousin of the harlequin rasbora. These are a separate species and have a more distinct pork chop shaped black mark on the body than the harlequin rasbora. The fish are caught in smaller streams in Thailand.  Pork chop rasboras eat flake food and prefer to school in groups of five or more. Espei/pork chop rasboras are a wild-caught species, so size varies based on whatever the fishermen caught that week and exported. A German ichthyologist Hermann Meinken discovered the species in 1967 and named it after a popular hobbyist and fish importer named Heinrich Espe. So it pays to make fish friends.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Give them plants along the back and sides, open swimming space in front and a dark substrate. Soft, slightly acidic water and gentle filtration bring out their best color.

Feeding: Feed a quality flake or small pellet once or twice a day, only as much as they eat in a couple of minutes. They also enjoy frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tankmates: They get along with most peaceful community fish of similar size, such as tetras, other rasboras, danios, corydoras, gouramis and dwarf shrimp. Avoid large predatory fish that could eat them.

Good to know: In a well-planted tank a school of rasboras swims together in the middle of the tank, and their colors deepen as they settle in.