Edit Pethia gelius

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Name

Scientific name

Pethia gelius

Described by

Authority Hamilton, Year 1822, Bracketed

Family

Cyprinidae

Common names

Golden Dwarf Barb

Photograph credits

All 6 credited

Summary

The golden dwarf barb, Pethia gelius, is a small cyprinid native to the Ganges and Brahmaputra river drainages of northern India and Bangla…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

40mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 60 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

Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Ayeyarwady, Brahmaputra, Chembarambakkam Lake, Ganges, Torsa

Writing

Etymology

Pethia: the generic vernacular name for small cyprinids in the Sinhala language. gelius: appears to follow a local vernacular name for the fish.

Distribution

Described from 'Ponds and ditches of northeastern Bengal', and generally considered native to the Ganges and Brahmaputra river drainages in northern India, Nep…

Habitat

Tends to inhabit sluggish, often turbid, enironments with substrates of mud or silt as well as marginal zones of flowing rivers and tributaries. In West Bengal…

Tends to inhabit sluggish, often turbid, enironments with substrates of mud or silt as well as marginal zones of flowing rivers and tributaries.

In West Bengal state, for example, it's typically found in slow-moving, shallow streams passing through cultivated land such as rice fields and which may or may not contain aquatic vegetation.

Many of its habitats are subject to seasonal variation in water depth, flow and turbidity.

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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

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Pages

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Anything worth adding

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Aquarium size

Base dimensions of at least 60 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent are required.

Maintenance

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

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

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

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…

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' identity was settled and a neotype designated by Knight (2013) who also revalidated the congener P. canius (Hamilton, 1822) and described the clo…

References

9 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