Red-Fin Bitterling (Rhodeus cf. albomarginatus) – Rare Chinese Bitterling

Description & Care Instructions

Discover the elegant Rhodeus albomarginatus, a rare bitterling species native to the Lvjiang River tributaries of China’s Yangtze basin. Males are distinguished by a grayish body that transitions to a reddish-orange belly, a vibrant red spot on the central caudal fin, and finely white-margined dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins—traits that remain vibrant year-round and intensify during the breeding season. 

Care Guidelines (Paragraph Format):
The Red-Fin Bitterling is best housed in a well-filtered, peaceful aquarium enriched with live freshwater mussels—a necessity for their unique spawning behavior. Females use mussels like Ptychorhynchus murinum to deposit eggs, and males fertilize them inside the mollusk’s gill chamber, offering offspring vital protection during incubation.  Maintain cool, stable water temperatures in the 15–28 °C range with soft to moderately hard, slightly alkaline conditions. These fish thrive in shoals of 6 or more, within planted spaces featuring gentle water flow and sandy or natural substrates resembling their native hill-stream habitat