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Encyclopedia / Danios & Rasboras / Lambchop rasbora
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Lambchop rasbora

Trigonostigma espei · Espei, Lambchop

Peaceful.

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3 cmBody length, without tail ✓
23–28 °CTemperature ✓
5.5–7.5pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Lambchop rasbora only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Lambchop rasbora is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (23–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Pearl gourami eats animals up to about 3 cm. Lambchop rasbora only grows to 3 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

326 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–10 dGH
Group size ✓8 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 1.5–2 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful.

Food

Micro foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are slimmer and more colourful with a sharper-edged black marking; females are rounder-bellied, often a little larger, with a more rounded marking.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-depositor (plants) · Hard

Lays eggs on the underside of broad plant leaves (like the harlequin rasbora), with no parental care.

Pairing

Buy a group of 8-10 and let them pair up. Condition on live foods.

Setup

30-40 L tank with soft acidic water, broad leaves and dim light.

What starts it

Soft acid water, warm temperature and conditioning with live foods.

Eggs

Eggs hatch in 24-48 hours and fry swim free in about a week. No sourced egg count.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp. Keep water soft and clean.

Common mistakes
  • Hard water
  • Not enough broad leaves
  • Poor conditioning
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSoutheast Thailand and Cambodia
Rivers and lakesCoastal rivers draining to the Gulf of Thailand
HabitatSlow, vegetated streams and ponds
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
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The story of the lambchop rasbora

A small relative of the harlequin rasbora, named for the dark lamb-chop-shaped patch on its flank. Described by Hermann Meinken in 1967.

Hermann Meinken described this rasbora in 1967. It looks like the harlequin but has a slimmer black mark shaped like a lamb chop. It is now common in planted and nano tanks.

First described by Hermann Meinken in 1967.

  • Its slim black mark resembles a lamb chop.
  • Like the harlequin, it lays eggs under broad leaves.
  • Its body has a coppery-orange glow.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources