There are some species of freshwater aquarium and pond fish that resemble sharks. Some of them have long and streamlined bodies, while others have tall dorsal fins, made famous by movies. Keeping these fish is a great way to imagine you have sharks at home without actually having a real shark.
These fish are harmless to humans and can fulfill your fantasy of owning a pet shark. These fish species are of different shapes and sizes, so there’s something for everyone, irrespective of your aquarium / pond size.
All the fish species mentioned on this page should be kept by experienced aquarists who have kept fish successfully for at least 2 to 3 years. Beginners will have a hard time caring for them properly.
Fish Species That Look Like Sharks:
- Red tail shark
- Rainbow Shark
- Flying Fox
- Roseline Torpedo Shark / Denison Barb
- Harlequin Shark
- Silver Apollo Shark
- Violet Blushing Shark
- Silver shark / Bala shark
- Iridescent shark / Siamese shark
- Black Sharkminnow
- Chinese High Fin Banded Shark
- Siamese Algae Eater
Aquarium Fish That Look like Sharks
These fish are suitable for aquariums as they are small in size and require less space to live comfortably.
Red Tail Shark
Red Tailed Sharks are striking fish that are completely black except for the tail. The tails can be bright red or orange, providing a beautiful contrast to the rest of the body. The placement of their fins along the body reminds one of a shark.
They do not tolerate others of their own kind in the aquarium, and will fight constantly. They can be kept with most medium sized fish like Silver Dollars and semi-aggressive fish like Tiger Barbs. However, they will attack any fish with long and flowing fins like Goldfish.
| Species Name | Red tail shark (Epalzeorhynchos bicolor) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 5 to 15 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 7 in (18 cm) |
| Min tank size | 55 Gallons (208 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 10 Years |
Rainbow Shark
Rainbow Sharks have black bodies but all their fins and tails are coloured red or orange. Their bodies are also more streamlined than the Red Tail Sharks.
Like the Red Tailed Sharks, Rainbow Sharks are also aggressive towards others from the same species. Both these species are aggressive to each other as well. However, multiple fish of this species can be kept in the same tank if it is spacious enough.
| Species Name | Rainbow Shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 24 to 27 °C (75 to 81 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 5 to 11 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 6 in (15 cm) |
| Min tank size | 50 Gallons (189 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 8 Years |
Flying Fox Fish
Flying Fox Fish have elongated streamlined bodies. Their dorsal, claudal and anal fins are fully or partially black. Their upper bodies are black with a pale yellow line in between. The lower body is silver.
Multiple Flying Foxes could be kept together, but they get territorial and may display aggression. If only one is kept in an aquarium, they can be kept with Angelfish, Loaches, Gouramis and Danios, among other species.
| Species Name | Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 23 to 27 °C (73 to 81 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 2 to 12 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 6 in (15 cm) |
| Min tank size | 50 Gallons (189 L |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 or 6 |
| Temperament | Semi Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 10 Years |
Roseline Torpedo Shark / Denison Barb
Commonly called Denison Barbs, these fish are very colourful compared to other species on this list. They have silver bodies and opaque fins and tails. The dorsal fin has a pink highlight that accentuates the fish appearance like a shark. The tails have black and yellow stripes towards the end.
They have a black line running laterally along the whole body and a bright pink stripe that goes from the face to just under dorsal fin.
These are active and fast swimming fish that need to be kept in schools. Keeping just 1 or 2 of these in a tank will stress them out, causing them to lose their colours.
| Species Name | Roseline Torpedo Shark / Denison Barb (Sahyadria denisonii) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 18 to 26 °C (65 to 79 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 5 to 25 |
| pH Range | 6.8 to 7.8 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 6 in (15 cm) |
| Min tank size | 60 Gallons (227 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 6 |
| Temperament | Semi Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 5 Years |
Harlequin Shark
Harlequin Sharks have eyes that are very large in proportion to their heads. They also have very large dorsal fins.
Their entire body has a shiny golden base, on which there is a black mottled pattern. This pattern extends to the fins and tail as well.
These guys tend to be aggressive towards similar looking fish like Red Tail Sharks and rainbow Sharks. They don’t get along well with their own kind either. They feed on algae and biofilm as well, lending a helping hand to clean the aquarium.
| Species Name | Harlequin Shark (Labeo cyclorhynchus) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 21 to 27 °C (70 to 81 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 8 to 18 |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 7.5 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 6.5 in (16 cm) |
| Min tank size | 50 Gallons (189 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 8 Years |
Silver Apollo Shark
Silver Apollo Sharks prefer to stay in schools. They can be kept with other fish species that are not too aggressive and are too large to be eaten.
They have streamlined bodies and are fast swimmers. Their bodies are shiny silver in colour and have a black stripe that runs laterally along the body and turns upwards on the tail. There is another line on the bottom of the tail as well.
| Species Name | Silver Apollo Shark (Luciosoma spilopleura) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 24 to 28 °C (75 to 82 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 8 to 20 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 12 in (31 cm) |
| Min tank size | 100 Gallons (378 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 4 |
| Temperament | Semi Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 10 Years |
Violet Blushing Shark
Another semi-aggressive species, these also prefer to stay in schools. Their light colouration makes them stand out in a planted aquarium, or among dark coloured fish.
Their bodies are a pinkish silver, which is shiny. Their fins and tails are semi-transparent. Their gills are bright pink, and stand out.
| Species Name | Violet Blushing Shark (Labeo boga) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 24 to 26 °C (75 to 79 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 5 to 12 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 12 in (31 cm) |
| Min tank size | 100 Gallons (378 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 4 |
| Temperament | Semi Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 5+ Years |
Pond Fish That Look Like Sharks
These fish are suitable for ponds as they are larger in size and require more space to live comfortably. These are tankbusters and should not be kept in aquariums. Click here to read what tankbusters are and the problems one faces when keeping them in home aquariums.
Silver shark / Bala shark
Bala Sharks also have a large dorsal fin, similar to marine sharks. Their bodies are silver, while the fins and tails are black at the outer edges and grey at the centre.
Their eyes are huge in proportion to their heads.
| Species Name | Silver shark / Bala shark (Balantiocheilos melanopterus) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 22 to 28 °C (72 to 82 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 5 to 12 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 14 in (35 cm) |
| Min tank size | 120 Gallons (454 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 2 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Lifespan | 10 Years |
Iridescent shark / Siamese shark
Capable of exceeding 4 Feet in length, these fish are truly giants. They should only be kept in the largest of ponds, with over a 1000 Gallons of water.
The upper bodies are black with the underbelly being white. When young, they have 2 silver stripes running through the black portion. As they grow older, these lines fade away. While the dorsal fin looks too small for their body size, all the other fins and tail are in proportion.
| Species Name | Iridescent shark / Siamese shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 2 to 20 |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 51 in (130 cm) |
| Min tank size | 1000 Gallons (3785 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Lifespan | 20 Years |
Black Sharkminnow
Black Sharkminnows are large fish, reaching up to 3 feet in length. The fins are large and flowing, which makes the fish appear even larger.
They are completely black in colour and have an aggressive disposition. So you can only keep one of this species in a pond. They can be kept with other large pond species though.
| Species Name | Black Sharkminnow (Labeo chrysophekadion) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 24 to 27 °C (75 to 80.5 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 10 to 15 |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 35 in (90 cm) |
| Min tank size | 400 Gallons (1514 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 10 Years |
Chinese High Fin Banded Shark
These guys can reach a whopping 4.5 feet in length. Add the fact that they feel safe in groups of 3 or more. Then their massive dorsal fin will require space, so the pond will need to be really huge.
As they grow older, their dorsal fin shrinks in size and their bands fade away. They are gentle giants though, so other pond mates will be safe.
| Species Name | Chinese High Fin Banded Shark (Myxocyprinus asiaticus) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 18 to 28 °C (65 to 82 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 6 to 10 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 53 in (135 cm) |
| Min tank size | 2000 Gallons (7570 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 3 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Lifespan | 20 Years |
Siamese Algae Eater
Because they look similar, Siamese Algae Eaters are often confused with Flying Foxes, since they look similar. However, they are completely different species.
Their bodies are silver with a thick black stripe running across laterally. Their fins and tails are almost completely transparent.
| Species Name | Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature Range | 22 to 28 °C (72 to 82 °F) |
| Water Hardness Range (°d) | 5 to 20 |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Hobbyist Level | Intermediate |
| Max Adult Size | 15 in (38 cm) |
| Min tank size | 120 Gallons (454 L) |
| Min number of individuals to keep per tank | 1 alone or a group of 6 |
| Temperament | Semi Aggressive |
| Lifespan | 10 Years |
