The type series was collected from a stream-like tributary of the Chalakkudy River at an altitude of 483 m AMSL. In March 1996 the habitat measured around 15 m across and comprised shallow (~ 20 cm deep) water flowing slowly through moist deciduous forest over a substrate of pebbles and boulders.

An obligate dweller of shallow, fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated headwaters and minor tributaries characterised by stretches of riffles and runs broken up by pools or cascades in some cases.

Substrates are normally composed of smaller rocks, sand and gravel with jumbles of boulders, and whil…

The only other described member of the genus native to southwestern India is B. sharavtiensis which occurs a little further north than B. travancoria in Karanataka state. The two are easily distinguished by colour pattern in that B. travancoria possesses a darkish midlateral stripe and a poorly-defined, but normally visible, post-opercular spot, whereas B. sharavtiensis has no such mark…

Wild examples are rarely-seen in the aquarium hobby although selectively-bred ornamental strains are widely-available for which care is identical.

These are normally traded as ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ chromide and have a solid yellow-orange colour pattern with no dark elements.

It exhibits a widespread sympatry with the con…

Generally considered to have an enormous natural range extending from Iran to Taiwan and Bali, with records existing from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

However there exists significant evidence to suggest that C. gachua as currently understood represents a complex of similar-looking species, and a taxonomic review of the group is clearly required.