An omnivorous species, which lives basin-wide in a
variety of freshwater habitats, but with a preference
for standing water. It is a migratory species, however
most reports indicate that it is a “local migrant”
migrating from the Mekong up into small streams and canals and onto flooded areas during the rainy
season and back again when the water recedes. It is an opportunistic spawner: it spawns in the rainy
season between May and August depending on environmental factors such as rainfall and water
current. The species normally reach maturity after one year, but it can reach this stage only eight or
ten months at a body length of 8–8.5 cm and a weight of 9–20 g. The species is known to have a high
fecundity between with 200,000 and 800,000 eggs/kg. The eggs are semi-buoyant, with an initial size
of 0.5–0.8 mm. The maximum size after water absorption is 2.5–3.5 mm. Hatching occurs 12 hours
after fertilization at 25ºC. The total length of the larva at hatching is 2–3 mm. It is an important food
fish and is important both in fisheries and aquaculture. Maximum length is about 33 cm.