Freshwater
Glass fish
Parachela oxygastroides
Xenocyprididae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 20 cm
- Body shape
- Elongated
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 192 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Videos
Snorkelling a Suspiciously Clear Irrigation Canal in Thailand | Gourami, Snakeheads, Rasbora & more!
Rodrigo SilvaOct 6, 2026
More about the species
Description
Lives in rivers and lowland wetlands including peat canals. Found in medium to large-sized rivers and is a common resident of seasonally flooded forest. Leaves the flooded forest in November as the water levels begin to decline substantially. Seems to be more tolerant of high amounts of suspended solids than P. maculicauda or P. williaminae and are more common in habitats disturbed by farming activities. Feeds on zooplankton, insects and fish. Normally sold in markets held side by side in a piece of split bamboo. Good for Tieo pa ka tao and extensively used for making padek.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Chela johorensis
- Chela megalolepis
- Chela oxygastroides
- Leuciscus oxygastroides
- Oxygaster johorensis
- Oxygaster oxygastroides
In other languages
- Almindelig glasbarbe
- Lasibarbi, Lasikölibarbi
- Glass barb
Articles
All articles
How to set up an Asian aquarium5 min read
Two aquariums from Southeast Asia: calm forest streams and peat swamps with soft, brown water, and fast mountain streams with cool, oxygen-rich water.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
Ich (white spot)4 min read
The most common disease in aquarium fish. How to recognize it, why it shows up, and how to get rid of it.