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Malabar danio facts for kids

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Malabar danio
Devario malabaricus by Blaise.png
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Synonyms
  • Perilampus malabaricus Jerdon, 1849
  • Danio malabaricus (Jerdon, 1849)
  • Puntius malabaricus (Jerdon, 1849)
  • Perilampus canarensis Jerdon, 1849
  • Perilampus mysoricus Jerdon, 1849
  • Danio micronema Bleeker, 1863
  • Perilampus aurolineatus Day, 1865
  • Paradanio aurolineatus (Day, 1865)
  • Eustira ceylonensis Günther, 1868
  • Perilampus ceylonensis (Günther, 1868)

The Malabar danio (Devario malabaricus) is a colorful tropical fish. It belongs to the minnow family, called Cyprinidae. This fish comes from Sri Lanka and the west coast of India. People around the world keep them as aquarium pets. Malabar danios can grow up to 6 inches (15 cm) long. In a home aquarium, they usually stay smaller, around 4 inches (10 cm).

Malabar Danio Habitat and Behavior

Malabar danios live in warm, tropical places. You can find them in many types of water. They live in mountain streams and even small pools. However, they like flowing water best. These fish are very active. They enjoy being in groups, so they are a schooling fish.

What Malabar Danios Eat

Malabar danios have a varied diet. They eat small insects. They also enjoy eating different kinds of plant matter.

Malabar Danio Reproduction

Malabar danios lay eggs, which is called being oviparous. They usually spawn in shallow water. This often happens after heavy rains. They lay their eggs among plants growing on the bottom.

An adult female can lay about 200 eggs. These eggs are light orange and a bit sticky. The tiny fish, called fry, hatch from the eggs very quickly. This happens in just one to two days. The fry can swim freely after about five days. If you are breeding them in an aquarium, you need to remove the adult fish. This stops the parents from eating their own eggs.

See also

  • List of freshwater aquarium fish species
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