One of the few truly black tropicals, the black shark has a very attractive shark-like outline which is enhanced by the big dorsal fin which is invariably carried erect. As the fish ages, it has a tendency to lose its rich black colour and turn out to be a golden tint, starting at the caudal fin.
Aquarium specimens are fairly hardy and can turn out to be fairly big, 10 inches long, in reality, and in their natural environment grow up to 2 ft.
The black shark has a small, sucker-like mouth, and is virtually harmless to other fish. It likes to scavenge on the bottom among the rocks and crowns of the plants. Regrettably it has not as yet been bred in captivity and, as a result, the breeding habits are unknown.