This species may be seen on sale under various trade names including ‘red-line dwarf rasbora’, ’emerald dwarf rasbora’, or ‘red dwarf rasbora’. A similar-looking, apparently undescribed congener has been collected near the town of Hopong, also in Shan State. It differs from M. rubescens by possessing a greenish to bluish lateral stripe plus a larger adult size, and is traded as Microrasbora cf. rubescens, M. ‘thuzari’, M. sp. ‘rose blue line’, ‘Asian Cardinal Rasbora’, or ‘flame red rasbora’.

This species is poorly known in general and is not present in the ornamental trade, although its name is widely misapplied to other Luciosoma species. Its congeners are mostly marketed as ‘apollo shark’, ‘shark minnow’, or similar, and often labelled with incorrect scientific names.

Identification of the fish pictured here is based on Bleeker (1855, 1860) and Roberts (1989), plus drawings by Bleeker, thus…

This species was referred to as its congener Leptobarbus hoevenii for a number of decades and continues to be misidentified as such in the aquarium hobby, with both species traded under the same name.

It is a popular sport fish in its native countries and is wholly unsuitable for private aquaria. Unfortunately it is…

Originally described as a member of Barilius (Annandale, 1918) but Howes (1980a) considered it more closely related to cheline cyprinids (Chela and Laubuca spp.) based on morphological characters and erected the genus Inlecypris for it (Howes, 1980b). Fang (2003) supported Howes’ conclusions in her 2003 phylogenetic study of the genus Danio, hypothesising that Inlecypris and Chela together form a sister group to Devario.

There are currently eleven species in the genus most of which have previously been included in Puntius, Barbus and the now defunct genus Gonoproktopterus. Of these the only ones we've seen in the trade are H. jerdoni and H. curmuca although it's possible that others have been exported in small numbers or as contaminants among shipments of other species. Even these two are very rarely encountered and little has been written about the group as a whole….

Garra species are usually included in the subfamily Labeoninae/Cyprininae (name varies with author) which by current thinking is further divided into several tribes and subtribes (Stiassny and Getahun, 2007). The putatively monophyletic subtribe Garraina comprises Garra plus numerous other genera including the well-known Crossocheilus and Epalzeorhynchos.

Within this division their closest relatives are members of Discogobio, Discocheilus and Placocheilus (the lat…

This species is also known by the vernacular ‘jungle perch’ or ‘sidebar barb’ and should not be considered an aquarium subject in all but the most extreme circumstances since it can grow to over 2 feet in length, weigh in excess of 5 kg and is a powerful, pelagic predator. It’s also a popular sport fish with a reputation for striking hard.

There currently exist a dozen described Esomus spp. alhough few are seen in the aquarium trade and none are especially popular. Most are commonplace in their native countries and also quite plainly-patterned so generally overlooked by collectors. Their most common use in some areas is actually as a feeder fish in the aquaculture of larger species. They’re characterised by greatly-enlarged pectoral fins and two pairs of barbels, of which the maxillary pair are extremely long and usually reach the pectoral fins.

E. octozona can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: bar 1 present; presence of a large and distinct black mark anterior to anus, visible in lateral and ventral views; simple dorsal-fin rays black, sometimes extending onto first branched ray; other rays hyaline or with diffused chromatophores on last dorsal-fin ray, adjacent to upper extremity of bar 6; 25-31 serrae on last simple dorsal-fin ray; uppermost ray of pectoral-fin with faint black margin; width of bar 5 equal to 1-1½ lat…

D. ashmeadi is the type species and exhibits differences in dental morphology compared with other members of the genus. It can also be told apart from D. halei by the red/pink (vs. orange) colouration in the dorsal and anal fins and serrated (vs. smooth) dorsal spine. D. schroederi is also similar-looking but as it matures the prominent dark dorsal blotch fades to a thin dark distal band whereas in D. ashmeadi it is retained throughout life.