🐟 Red Scat (Scatophagus argus — red colour form)
Brackish-to-Marine Schooling Fish • Warm Red-Orange Colour Form • Active, Hardy, and Long-Lived
 
📋 The Red Scat, also called the Ruby Scat, is a colour form of the Spotted Scat with warm red-orange body tones over dark spotting. It's distinct from the Green and Silver Scat forms we also carry, though all three are the same species. Colour intensity improves with proper salinity and a varied diet, so a well-set-up Red Scat is a real glowing centrepiece.
Juveniles tolerate low-end brackish or even freshwater conditions temporarily, while adults need brackish-to-full-marine salinity for long-term health. Kept in freshwater as adults they grow poorly and develop ongoing health problems, so raising the salinity as they mature is the key to a thriving, long-lived fish. Scats are social, active schoolers, best kept in a group of six or more for natural behaviour and to reduce stress-related aggression. They're hardy once properly acclimated and coexist well with Monos, Archerfish, Mollies, and brackish gobies. Like all scats, this one has venom glands at the base of its dorsal, anal, and pelvic fin spines. A sting is similar to a bee sting but more potent, not life-threatening, but a good reason to handle the fish carefully when netting, bagging, or doing tank maintenance.
 
💡 Highlights
🔴 Warm Red-Orange Colour Form: A distinctive variant of the Spotted Scat
🌊 Brackish-to-Marine for Adults: Rising salinity keeps it thriving
📏 A Large Schooling Fish: Up to about 38cm
👥 Social: Happiest in groups of six or more
🛡️ Venomous Fin Spines: Handle with care during netting