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Fish profile · Cyprinidae
Zebra danio
Danio rerio
An active schooling fish from South Asia with horizontal blue stripes extending onto the tail. It is widely bred for aquariums and is also an important laboratory model for studying vertebrate development.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · 4 sources
- Max length
- 5 cm
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- order Cypriniformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · hand 18 cm
Up to 5 cm.
How to identify
- Five horizontal blue stripes running along the sides and onto the tail.
- Slender body and upward-facing mouth.
- Males have gold between the blue stripes; females have a fuller, whitish belly.
Habitat
Rice fields and canalsLowland riversLakes
Shallow streams, canals, ponds and rice paddies, often with vegetation.
- Diet
- Small aquatic crustaceans and other invertebrates; aquarium fish accept varied small foods.
- Native range
- South Asia, particularly India and Bangladesh.
Aquarium care
- Minimum tank
- 40 L
- Temperature
- 18–25°C
- pH
- 6–8
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Group size
- 8+
More photos
Sources
Last reviewed 13 October 2026