This is one of the most beautiful new entries in the hobby in the past few years. However, the species is known scientifically already since 1931, when Hugh M. Smith, one of the greatest experts for the fishes of Thailand, described the species. And even Smith observed the extraordinary beauty of the fish and named it “pulchellus”, the Latin word for “beautiful”.
The animals are close relatives of the Danios. In nature, they settle in cool, clear mountain streams of northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The type locality is Mekang (not Mekong, as can be found erroneously in some literature) near Pang Chao.
Usually the species becomes 7 cm long; females stay generally smaller than the males and are much more elongate. The largest specimen known so far was 10.5 cm long. The wonderful fish are very peaceful and do not care for plants. Regarding water chemistry they are undemanding; medium hard water with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH is equal to the conditions in nature.
So far, nothing has been published about the breeding behaviour of the species. However, it is very likely that they spawn in the gravel. The fish take readily any type of fishfood that fits the size of the mouth. All in all, Opsarius pulchellus is a perfect addition for the aquarium hobby.
For our customers: the fish have code 439904 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Opsarius: from ancient Greek, means “small fish”. pulchellus: Latin, means “beautiful”.
Suggestion of a common name: Butterfly danio
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Thailand |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 6-7 |
