Kingdom Animalia Family Cyprinidae Genus Luciosoma Order Cypriniformes | Class Actinopterygii Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Luciosoma, Clupeichthys aesarnensis, Burmese trout, Esomus, Puntioplites proctozystron | ||
Luciosoma bleekeri (Chinese: 布氏梭大口魚, Thai: ปลาซิวอ้าว) is a species of small cyprinid fish found in Southeast Asia from the Mae Klong River to the Mekong. It lives mainly in rivers, moving into flooded forests and fields during the floods and back into the river as the floods recede. It usually swims close to the surface in schools of many individuals. It is one of the most abundant of the different types of minnow-sized fishes known as (Pla sio) in Thailand.
Uses
This small fish is important in the cuisine of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam where it is seasonally found in great numbers. It is commonly deep-fried, pickled or fermented as Pla ra, Padaek and Prahok, as well as salted and dried. It is eaten also raw in Lao and Isan cuisine.
These tiny fishes are beautiful and very active and are also appreciated in the aquarium trade.