Photo: Andrewbogott, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Phoenix rasbora
Boraras merah
2 cm
Adult size
50 L
Minimum volume
10
Minimum group
4 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Boraras
- Diet
- carnivore
- Social life
- shoal
In the wild
Overview
Boraras is an anagram of Rasbora, and merah means “red” in Indonesian. This micro-fish looks like B. brigittae and B. maculatus, but its red is concentrated around the dark spots. It is sometimes sold as the “phoenix rasbora”.
- Scientific name
- Boraras merah (Kottelat, 1991)
- Classification
- Cypriniformes › Danionidae
- IUCN Red List
- Data deficient (DD)
Natural habitat
Southern and western Borneo (Kalimantan, Indonesia)
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It lives in the blackwater streams of peat swamp forests: brown, very soft, acidic water (pH down to 4), dimly lit, over a bottom of dead leaves and branches. These habitats are threatened by oil palm and rubber plantations.
Behaviour
Very peaceful but tiny and shy, it is kept alone or with other micro-fish (Microdevario, Trigonostigma, dwarf Corydoras, Otocinclus) or small, discreet anabantoids. A micro-predator, it needs small live or frozen prey as well as fine dry food.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth