The scarlet badis (''Dario dario'') is a
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
freshwater fish
Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...
and one of the smallest known
percoid fish species.
It is a micropredator, feeding on small aquatic crustaceans, worms, insect larvae and other
zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
. It is sold under a variety of names (''Badis badis bengalensis'', ''B. bengalensis'') in the aquarium trade.
Description
Scarlet badis are among the smallest percoid fish species. Males usually do not exceed , with the females being even smaller around . Apart from the size difference, the sexes are easy to distinguish by the vibrant colors and prominent fins of the male.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of this species appears to be restricted to tributary systems draining into the
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
in parts of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
and
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
states of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, although it might also range into
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
. It typically inhabits shallow, clear water streams with sand or gravel substrates and dense growths of marginal and/or aquatic vegetation.
Care in the aquarium
The scarlet badis is becoming increasingly popular as an aquarium fish, particularly in
nano aquaria. Their territorial nature does however mean that their environment must contain sufficient boundaries to prevent aggressive behaviour, especially between males of the species. The careful aquarist would ensure that the tank is sufficiently filled with items of decoration capable of breaking up lines of sight and establishing territories. Natural driftwood or coconut shells used as caves are all ideal.
This species should only be considered for inclusion in an established and well-cycled aquarium with suitable water parameters.
Lending to its nature as a predator, small frozen or live foods such as blood worms or brine shrimp are preferred over processed foods such as pellets or flakes.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:badis, scarlet
scarlet badis
Tropical fish
Brahmaputra River
scarlet badis