# Scissortail Rasbora (*Rasbora spilocerca Rainboth &*)

The Scissortail Rasbora is a small, colorful fish that loves to swim in groups. They have beautiful, long tails that look like scissors when they swim!

- **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Freshwater rivers and streams
- **Also known as:** Rasbora Scissor Tail, Scissor Tail Rasbora

![Scissortail Rasbora](https://media.snappit.app/site-media-v1/be63354e9743f9c1336333a92e450c3085e545d6bdc56732d020cad08a6766bc/image-560x560/w-560.webp)

## Appearance

The Scissortail Rasbora has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a shimmery silver-gold color. Its most distinctive feature is a deeply forked tail, marked with bold black stripes on each lobe, resembling open scissors.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Actinopterygii
- **Order:** Cypriniformes
- **Family:** Cyprinidae
- **Genus:** Rasbosoma

## Interesting facts

- Some people call them "dart fish" because they zip around so quickly!
- Their unique tail looks like scissors opening and closing when they swim!
- These tiny fish can sense changes in water currents using special lines on their bodies!
- They love to swim in huge groups, sometimes hundreds of them!

## Special abilities

- **Schooling Swirl:** Scissortail Rasbora can swim in large, synchronized groups that helps them confuse predators and find food more efficiently.
- **Darting Dash:** Scissortail Rasbora has a powerful, deeply forked tail that helps them make quick, darting movements to escape danger.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 4-6 cm
- **Weight:** 0.001-0.003 kg
- **Lifespan:** 3-5 years
- **Swim Speed:** 7 km/h
- **Maximum Depth:** 2 m
- **Water Type:** Freshwater

## Diet & Feeding

These omnivores munch on tiny bugs, larvae, and algae to stay healthy and energetic!

- **Primary Foods:** Insect larvae, Small crustaceans, Algae, Detritus
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Dwarf Snakehead (*Channa gachua*) — Larger predatory fish often hunt Rasboras in their natural habitat.
- **Eats:** Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Scissortail Rasboras feed on these tiny crustaceans.
- **Shelter:** [Hydrilla](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hydrilla) (*Hydrilla verticillata*) — Dense aquatic plants provide hiding places and foraging grounds.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

## Collections

- [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Scissortail Rasbora?

Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Scissortail Rasbora?

4-6 cm

### How much does Scissortail Rasbora weigh?

0.001-0.003 kg

### How long does Scissortail Rasbora live?

3-5 years

### What does Scissortail Rasbora eat?

These omnivores munch on tiny bugs, larvae, and algae to stay healthy and energetic!

### How fast can Scissortail Rasbora swim?

7 km/h

### Where is Scissortail Rasbora usually found?

Freshwater rivers and streams

### How does Scissortail Rasbora hunt?

Foraging

## More Fish

- [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*)
- [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*)
- [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*)
- [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*)

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Source: [Scissortail Rasbora: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scissortail-rasbora)