Malabar danio
Encyclopedia
The Malabar Danio is a tropical fish
belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae). Originating in Sri Lanka
and the west coast of India
, the fish has been circulated throughout the world through the aquarium
fish trade. It grows to a maximum length of 6.0 in (15.2 cm).
The Malabar Danio is found in tropical climates in a wide variety of waters, from mountain streams to small pools, but it prefers flowing waters. They are an active, schooling fish that prefers to be in groups. Their diet consists of insect
s and plant matter.
Malabar Danios are egg-layers that spawn
in shallow water after heavy rains among the plants growing at the bottom of the water. An adult will spawn around 200 light orange, sticky eggs that will hatch in 1 to 2 days. The fry will be free-swimming after the fifth day. The parents must be removed in order to prevent them from eating the eggs.
The species was earlier incorrectly considered a synonym of Devario aequipinnatus which is a valid name for a different species.
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
belonging to the minnow 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...
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...
, the fish has been circulated throughout the world through the aquarium
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...
fish trade. It grows to a maximum length of 6.0 in (15.2 cm).
The Malabar Danio is found in tropical climates in a wide variety of waters, from mountain streams to small pools, but it prefers flowing waters. They are an active, schooling fish that prefers to be in groups. Their diet consists of 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 and plant matter.
Malabar Danios are egg-layers that spawn
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...
in shallow water after heavy rains among the plants growing at the bottom of the water. An adult will spawn around 200 light orange, sticky eggs that will hatch in 1 to 2 days. The fry will be free-swimming after the fifth day. The parents must be removed in order to prevent them from eating the eggs.
The species was earlier incorrectly considered a synonym of Devario aequipinnatus which is a valid name for a different species.