There are currently three species which look almost identical and are most easily separated by collection details since their ranges do not overlap in nature; C. chagunio is endemic to the Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages and C. nicholsi to the Ayeyarwady/Irrawaddy.

This species only became available in the aquarium hobby during the early 21st century but has already achieved a measure of popularity since it’s attractive, easy to maintain and usually quite cheaply-priced.

You may see it on sale under various trade names including ‘Vietnamese minnow’, ‘cardinal minnow’, ‘royal white cloud’, ‘dwarf cardinal’ and others.

We’ve obtained images of what is said to be a naturally-occurring form with extremely elong…

This species is among a handful of near-identical congeners that are traded as ‘Siamese algae-eater’ (often abbreviated to ‘SAE’), ‘Siamese flying fox’ and ‘Crossocheilus siamensis’.

The latter name is not valid, however, and is a synonym of Epalzeorhynchos siamensis which is itself a synonym of Crossocheilus oblongus, a species described from Java. C. oblongus is currently accepted to…

C. latius isn't often available in the trade but makes an excellent alternative to more commonly-offered members of the genus should you be lucky enough to find some. Shipments of similar-looking Indian Garra species such as G. mullya or G. gotyla sometimes contain the odd specimen. It exhibits morphological differences when compared with other members of the genus and may be assigned to a separate taxon at some point in the future.

This species is poorly-known in the aquarium hobby and may have never been maintained outside its native countries.

It can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: 26-27 lateral line scales; two roundish, dark blotches on each flank, one beneath dorsal-fin origin and above the lateral line, the other on the caudal peduncle and passing thro…

Predominantly a riverine fish favouring clear, well-oxygenated, running water with substrates of sand or gravel and often present in rock and boulder-filled headwater streams.

In the Mun River, close to the Pak Mun dam, Thailand, sympatric species included Hampala dispar, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Osteochilus hasseltii,…

Known only from southern (peninsular) Thailand with the type series originating from a swamp some 83 km north of Surat Thani city, Surat Thani province. It’s been recorded at additional locations, all within the lower Tapi river drainage on the Gulf of Thailand slope of the Malay Peninsula. In the description Conway and Kottelat (2011) report the occurence of a similar-looking, possibly conspecific fish on the Andaman Sea side of the Peninsula, close to Trang province.

It’s also been collected in more open areas but wherever it is found the substrate is composed of boulders, smaller stones, sand and/or gravel along with decomposing plant material. From images we’ve seen typical habitats are composed of short sections of rocky rapids interspersed by deeper pools with exposed bedrock.

Rainboth describes how he collected a large group of…

This species does not appear to be in the aquarium hobby at time of writing though it may have been in the past, when exports of wild Epalzeorhynchos spp. still took place.

Most members of the genus were formerly regarded as Labeo spp. and are thus referred to as such in older literature. According to Rainboth (1996) they’re characterised by absence of a dorsal spine, possession of 10-13 branched dorsal fin rays, a thin membrane…

The genus Puntius is currently viewed as something of a catch-all for well over 100 species of small to mid-sized cyprinid. Most experts agree that a full revision is required with the likely outcome that many species will be placed into new or different genera since it is clearly polyphyletic.

When describing the grouping in 1822 Hamilton identified the defining characteristics as: presence or absence o…