All fish / Danionidae

Queen danio

Devario malabaricus

Also known as queen danio, malabar danio, giant danio, devario peninsulae, danio peninsulae, ジャイアントダニオ, 斑马鱼, 大斑马

A fast, active, streamlined danio with blue-steel horizontal stripes over a silvery body and yellowish to golden flanks and fins. Fish sold as Devario peninsulae are generally treated as part of the variable Devario malabaricus complex. It is kept for its hardiness, constant movement and the shimmer a shoal adds to the upper water of a large tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia and insects

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 7 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southern India and Sri Lanka (Western Ghats and Peninsula rivers)

Breeding

An egg-scattering fish that spawns readily over fine-leaved plants or mesh, usually in the early morning, with no parental care. Adults eat the eggs, so remove them after spawning; fry hatch in a day or two and take infusoria and then baby brine shrimp, which makes it fairly easy to breed.

Good to know

It grows bigger than most danios and needs a long tank with a tight lid, as it is a strong jumper. Its fast feeding and energy can stress slow or long-finned tankmates.