[4] These fish have a silver body with black margins on their dorsal, caudal, anal, and pelvic fins.

[7] Bala sharks are widely available in most pet stores, but will grow to a size too large for the home aquarium.

However, given their adult size, schooling behavior, and swimming speed, the fish quickly grow to need much more room.

[3] In Danau Sentarum (Borneo), fishermen already reported in 1993 and 1995 that the populations had decreased dramatically after 1975, for no clear reason.

Fishermen mentioned overfishing for the aquarium-fish trade or forest fires in 1975 and the resulting pollution as possible causes.

The species is apparently extirpated in the Batang Hari basin (Sumatra) and it seems that all individuals of B. melanopterus exported from Indonesia and Thailand by the aquarium-fish trade are captive bred.