Giant Danio
Encyclopedia
The giant danio is a tropical fish belonging to the minnow
family Cyprinidae. Originating in Sri Lanka
, Nepal
, and the west coast of India
, this species grows to a maximum length of 6 inches (15 cm), making it one of the largest of the danionin
s. They are characterized by a blue and yellow, torpedo-shaped body with gray and clear fins.
In the wild, giant danios live in clear streams and rivers among hills at elevations up to 1000 ft (300 m) above sea level
. Their native substrate
is small gravel
. They are native to a tropical climate and prefer water with a 6-8 pH
, a water hardness of 5.0-19.0 dGH
, and a temperature range of 72-81°F (22-27°C). As surface dwellers, their diet consists predominantly of exogenous
insect
s, but is also supplemented by worm
s and crustacean
s.
In captivity, giant danios will usually accept most foods. They are a somewhat aggressive fish, and may bully other fish in community tanks
. Giant danios appreciate water movement to simulate the motion of the rivers and fast-moving streams of their origins, and prefer to school.
As egg-scatterers, danios produce around 300 eggs in a single spawning
. They spawn in clumps of plants.
A so-called "golden giant danio", sometimes seen, is in reality a partial albino fish. Devario affinis
, Devario browni
, Devario malabaricus, and Devario strigillifer
were originally deemed a synonym, but are now valid species.
Minnow
Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...
family Cyprinidae. Originating in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and the west coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, this species grows to a maximum length of 6 inches (15 cm), making it one of the largest of the danionin
Danionin
The danionins are a group of small minnow-type fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. Members of this group are mostly in the genera Danio and Devario. They are native to the fresh waters of southeast Asia. Many species are brightly coloured and are available as aquarium fish worldwide...
s. They are characterized by a blue and yellow, torpedo-shaped body with gray and clear fins.
In the wild, giant danios live in clear streams and rivers among hills at elevations up to 1000 ft (300 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Their native substrate
Substrate (marine biology)
Stream substrate is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. There are several classification guides. One is:*Mud – silt and clay.*Sand – Particles between 0.06 and 2 mm in diameter.*Granule – Between 2 and 4 mm in diameter....
is small gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
. They are native to a tropical climate and prefer water with a 6-8 pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
, a water hardness of 5.0-19.0 dGH
DGH
Degrees of general hardness is a unit of water hardness, specifically of general hardness.General hardness is a measure of the concentration of metal divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium per volume of water...
, and a temperature range of 72-81°F (22-27°C). As surface dwellers, their diet consists predominantly of exogenous
Exogenous
Exogenous refers to an action or object coming from outside a system. It is the opposite of endogenous, something generated from within the system....
insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, but is also supplemented by worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s and crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s.
In captivity, giant danios will usually accept most foods. They are a somewhat aggressive fish, and may bully other fish in community tanks
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
. Giant danios appreciate water movement to simulate the motion of the rivers and fast-moving streams of their origins, and prefer to school.
As egg-scatterers, danios produce around 300 eggs in a single spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
. They spawn in clumps of plants.
A so-called "golden giant danio", sometimes seen, is in reality a partial albino fish. Devario affinis
Devario affinis
Devario affinis, a cyprinid fish which grows up to in length, is a freshwater fish found in India....
, Devario browni
Devario browni
Devario brownii is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae....
, Devario malabaricus, and Devario strigillifer
Devario strigillifer
-External links:* *...
were originally deemed a synonym, but are now valid species.