Red dwarf rasbora (''Microrasbora rubescens'') is a species of cyprinid found endemic to

Lake Inle Inle Lake (, ), a freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of , and one of the highest at an elevation of . Du ...

in Shan State in

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

. It belongs to the genus '' Microrasbora'', which contains two small species of danionins. 2009. Molecular phylogenetic interrelationships of the south Asian cyprinid genera ''Danio'', ''Devario'', and ''Microrasbora'' (Teleostei, Cyprinidae, Danioninae). Zoologica Scripta 38:237-256.

Description

The dwarf red rasbora reaches up to in length. Its meristics are that there are 2 spines and 6-7 soft rays in the dorsal fin and 3 spines and 10-12 soft rays in the

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

. The females are less instensly coloured than the males and are larger and have a much deeper body.

Habitat

The dwarf red rasbora is endemic to Lake Inle which is situated in a valley where the rocks form a

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

and which lies 900m above sea level in the Shan Plateau region of Shan State. Within the lake this species can be found in the midwater and in the marginal waters of Lake Inle where it is associated with submerged vegetation and forms large schools.

Conservation

The red dwarf rasbora is exploited for the aquarium trade and it is thought this may have some impact on the population. It is also threatened by the introduction of exotic fish species to the lake, particularly '' Parambassis'' and '' Tilapia'' species, which act as both predators on and competitors with the red dwarf rasbora. In addition the lake has been polluted from a number of sources, especially from the growing human population in settlements around the lake, while sedimentation and agricultural runoff enters the lake from its drainage basin. The invasive water hyacinth has covered large areas of the lake and this has reduced the area of open water in the lake, this effect being exacerbated by water abstraction and sedimentation.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1931547 Taxa named by Nelson Annandale Fish described in 1918 Danios Microrasbora Fish of Myanmar