Edit Pethia aurea

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Name

Scientific name

Pethia aurea

Described by

Authority Knight, Year 2013

Family

Cyprinidae

Common names

Not recorded

Photograph credits

All 3 credited

Summary

Pethia aurea is a small cyprinid known from ponds in South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, in the Ganges delta of northern India. Consid…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

25mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 45 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Water movement Low: still or sluggish water

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 18–24°C, pH 6–7

Hardness

1–10dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

India, Ganges

Writing

Etymology

Pethia: the generic vernacular name for small cyprinids in the Sinhala language. aurea: from the Latin aurea, meaning 'golden', in reference to the species' co…

Distribution

Currently known only from a series of ponds in South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal state, northern India, in the Ganges River delta regin. Type locality is…

Habitat

Not written yet

Aquarium size

Base dimensions of at least 45 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent are required.

Maintenance

Best maintained in a planted aquarium and is an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up. The addition of some floating plants and driftwood roots …

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

Presumably a micropredator feeding on small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton in nature. In the aquarium it will accept dried foods of a suitab…

Behaviour and compatibility

Very peaceful but does not make an ideal community fish due to its small size and rather timid nature. It will do best when maintained alone or with other dimi…

Very peaceful but does not make an ideal community fish due to its small size and rather timid nature.

It will do best when maintained alone or with other diminutive species such as Microdevario, Trigonostigma, smaller Danio, Lepidocephalichthys, and freshwater shrimp of the genera Caridina and Neocaridina.

It's a schooling species by nature and really should be kept in a group of at least 8-10 specimens.

Maintaining it in decent numbers will not only make the fish less nervous but will result in a more effective, natural-looking display, plus males will also display their best colours and some interesting behaviour as they compete with one other for female attention.

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Where does this come from?

My own experienceFor example, I've kept twelve in a planted 60 cm tank since March 2024.A website I sawFor example, an IUCN Red List assessment, a museum catalogue or a FishBase page.A paperFor example, Marshall et al. (2011), Water temperature differences in interfluvial palm swamp habitats of Paracheirodon axelrodi and P. simulans.A book, or something not onlineFor example, Tappin (2010), Rainbowfishes: their care and keeping in captivity.Something already on the pageFor example, the Behaviour and compatibility section already says this.

Web address

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DOI

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Title

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Authors

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Year

Journal or publisher

Pages

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Anything worth adding

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Sexual dimorphism

Mature females are noticeably rounder-bellied, often a little larger and less-intensively coloured than males.

Reproduction

Like most small cyprinids Pethia spp. are egg-scattering free spawners exhibiting no parental care. When in good condition they will spawn often and in a matur…

Notes

This species was considered to be a phenotype of the similar-looking P. gelius prior to its description. Following Knight (2013) it is included a group of clos…

References

4 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References