Photo: Crazyhund, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Melon red dario
Dario hysginon
2 cm
Adult size
50 L
Minimum volume
4
Minimum group
4 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Dario
- Diet
- carnivore
- Social life
- harem
In the wild
Overview
Its name comes from the Greek hysginon, a scarlet dye, referring to the bright red of the males. It is sold as the “melon red dario” or “flame red dario”. It is one of the smallest aquarium fish (2 cm).
- Scientific name
- Dario hysginon Kullander & Britz, 2002
- Classification
- Anabantiformes › Badidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Myanmar: Irrawaddy basin (Kachin State, Lake Indawgyi, Mandalay region)
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It prefers small, often murky pools overgrown with aquatic plants or submerged grasses, and also lives in clear streams with a moderate current, alongside Badis corycaeus and B. kyar.
Behaviour
Not a shoaling fish, it can be kept alone; rival males can be very aggressive. In a small tank, keep a pair or one male with several females; in a larger tank a group can live together if each male has its own territory. A shy micropredator, it needs small live or frozen prey and often refuses dry food.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth