#priscacara

Species

The fish of the genus Priscacara are members of the Perch family (Percidae); there are two such species, both of which are found in North America:

Priscacara liota

Priscacara serrata [pictured]

Both of these fish can be purchased in stores, though your LFS probably won’t carry them. The market for these fish right now as pets is pretty dead.

Conservation Status

Though thought to be extinct in the wild, scientists are constantly unearthing new populations of Priscacara spp.

Distribution

Priscacara are commonly found in the Fossil Lake deposits in Wyoming and is somewhat more rare in the Lake Gossiute deposits of Wyoming. They can also be found in the Lake Uinta deposits of Utah and Colorado. Priscacara have been found as far North as Washington and British Columbia.

Description

Priscacara are moderately sized fish, usually topping out at around 8 inches long. You should always purchase them at the size you want, as they never really seemed to grow for me, even after keeping them for years.

Priscacara are not particularly active fish during the day. They are also not particularly active during the night, either. They spend most of their time laying about and seem content enough. Peaceful by nature, they do not bother any tankmates and are not territorial at all; I’ve never seen one chase another fish. These fish also seem to have a difficult time turning around... they do look very stiff anyways.

They do not seem to be prone to any diseases or parasites from my experience. Even when the rest of the tank is in jeopardy, you never have to worry about coming home and finding your Priscacara floating at the top of the tank!

Feeding

They are extremely picky eaters... I’ve fed mine daily and it’s never eaten a bite. If yours goes on a prolonged hunger strike and looks to be all bones, don’t worry; that is perfectly normal.

Water Quality

For a fish that comes from Utah, you may expect them to appreciate subtropical water. That’s actually far from the truth. Priscacara like very low temperatures and are best kept in stone cold conditions.

Also, avoid keeping yours in soft, acidic water as this can be harmful to them. The higher the hardness, the better, and they truly thrive in rock hard tanks.

Brackish Suitability

I can honestly say I’ve never seen one swimming in brackish water before. I don’t recommend it.

Tank Size

As inactive as they are, oddly enough you can keep these fish in a 2.5 gallon tank. It won’t kill them or anything.

Breeding

Not likely to happen in the home aquarium.

Final Thoughts

A fish you can keep in exceedingly small tanks, that won’t eat you out of house and home, and even novice fishkeepers will assuredly find it hard to kill... what’s not to like about Priscacara? Okay, they are about as active as rocks and you’ll never see one in a fish store... oh, and they’ve been extinct for about 40 million years. April Fools! :)

Sources