Taxonomy & naming
Bleeker described Datnioides microlepis in 1854 from the Kapuas River at Pontianak, Borneo. It belongs to the Lobotidae, the tripletails, and to the freshwater genus Datnioides, whose tigerfishes are often confused in the trade. The epithet means small-scaled.
Morphology
A deep-bodied perch-like fish with bold dark bars on a pale body. FishBase gives a maximum of 21.5 in TL, so the aquarium-store juveniles are a small fraction of adult size.
Habitat
FishBase records it from the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins of mainland Southeast Asia, the Kapuas basin in western Borneo and the Musi basin in Sumatra. It inhabits rivers, lakes and reservoirs and favours flooded forest and areas with plenty of submerged branches. FishBase gives a temperature range of 72–79 °F and notes that the species is protected in Thailand.
Feeding
FishBase reports that adults eat small shrimps, fish fry and small fishes, while juveniles take zooplankton. It also takes crabs, worms and insect larvae, and some plant matter.
Mating
Courtship has not been described for this species.
Breeding
Breeding in aquaria is not documented in the sources available to the atlas. FishBase says the species is an esteemed food fish and appears often in the aquarium trade.
In the aquarium
Juveniles are sold cheaply but need a very large tank as adults, with branches and cover and tankmates that are too large to be eaten. They will take live fish and can be trained to frozen and pellet foods. Expect a long-lived fish of 19.5 in or more.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List classes Datnioides microlepis as Least Concern (assessed 9 August 2019). FishBase notes it is a food fish and is protected in Thailand.