Orange-finned Danio

Looks how to spot one

Slender, elongated scaled cyprinid

A small, streamlined danio with two pairs of long barbels. Some fish carry neat horizontal stripes along the flanks while others show a wavy or spotted pattern, and the fins glow orange to red. Females are a little larger and rounder than males.123

Personality what they are like

Calm and friendly towards other fish, it suits a well-planted community tank. It shows its best behaviour and colour when kept in a decent-sized group.1

Daily activity how busy a day looks

A lively schooling fish that uses the whole tank and appreciates open swimming room plus gentle water movement.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep the water clean and well oxygenated with regular partial changes. It is a skilled jumper, so a tight-fitting lid is a must.1

Home where they are happiest

A tank with a base of at least 90 x 30 cm (about 81 litres). Temperature 16-26 °C, pH 6.5-7.5, soft water around 1-5 °H. Stones, gravel and plants along the edges echo its shaded home streams.1

Food basics what goes in the bowl

In the wild it mostly eats insects and their larvae. It takes most aquarium foods; small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm and Artemia alongside good dried food bring out the best colour.1

Company who they like around

Keep a group of at least 8-10. Good companions are other small, peaceful fish such as tetras, livebearers, rainbowfish and small cyprinids.1

The story where it all began

Fang Fang described this danio in 1998 from streams near Myitkyina in northern Myanmar. It is a close relative of the zebra danio, and the striped orange-finned form has since been studied as a separate lineage from the spotted ocelot form.231

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Assessed as Near Threatened (January 2010)2

FishBase

Described by Fang in 19982