Furry Diary

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Dwarf Rasbora

Boraras maculatus

Also called Spotted rasbora, Rasbora maculata

SpeciesShort profile

From Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, Singapore, eastern Sumatra and Bintan Island (Indonesia)12

At a glance the quick version

Length1 to 2.5 cm312
Sizetiny

Typical adults 1-2 cm; maximum 2.5 cm standard length

Peaceful
Pretty spotted pattern
Suits small planted aquariums
13

Looks how to spot one

Miniature scaled cyprinid with dark spots

A tiny rasbora reaching at most about 2.5 cm. The body is reddish, with the red often reaching onto the head, and it is marked with distinct dark spots on the flank and near the tail, which inspired its scientific name. Males show stronger colour, females are rounder.13

Coloursredreddish orangedark spots13

Personality what they are like

A gentle, slightly shy fish that is harmless to tankmates. It is calmest and most colourful in a group.13

Daily activity how busy a day looks

A calm swimmer of quiet, slow water that likes plants around it.12

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Prefers soft, acidic, clean water. Small regular water changes and daily small portions of live or frozen food alongside dry food help keep it in top colour.1

Home where they are happiest

A minimum footprint of about 45 x 30 cm (roughly 40 litres). Temperature 20-28 °C (FishBase 24-26 °C), pH 4.0-6.5 (FishBase 5.0-6.0), soft water. Dense planting and blackwater-style decor with leaf litter suit it.12

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A micropredator feeding on worms and small crustaceans in nature. It should not get dry food only; add small live and frozen foods such as Daphnia and Artemia.12

Company who they like around

A shoaling fish; keep at least 8-10 together. Fits well with other tiny species, dwarf shrimp and shy anabantoids such as Parosphromenus or small bettas.13

The story where it all began

Duncker described the fish in 1904 as Rasbora maculata, from material collected at Muar in Johor, Malaysia. In 1993 it was moved into Boraras, a genus set up for miniature rasboras.1234

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    FishBase counts it among the smallest cyprinid fish in the world.2

  2. 2

    Its scientific name 'maculatus' refers to its spotted markings.3

  3. 3

    In the wild it spawns in very shallow water, no deeper than about 15 cm, among dense plants.2

  4. 4

    It lives in ancient peat swamp forests with tea-coloured blackwater.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List
Assessed as Least Concern (December 2018)2
FishBase
Described by Duncker in 1904; listed as a commercial aquarium species2

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Dwarf Rasbora. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.

  1. Seriously Fish - Boraras maculatus seriouslyfish.comused for origin, size, water parameters, care, diet, behaviour, history
  2. FishBase - Boraras maculatus fishbase.seused for author/year, IUCN status, size, habitat, water parameters, spawning
  3. Wikipedia - Dwarf rasbora en.wikipedia.orgused for size, name meaning, social behaviour
  4. Wikipedia - Boraras en.wikipedia.orgused for genus history

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.