Devario is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae. includes about 42 confirmed species with a distribution covering freshwater environments in most of tropical South and Southeast Asia. They are relatively small species from about 50 to 100 mm body length and distinguished from other danios and cyprinids by the combination of rounded abdominal midline (vs. keeled), neuromast-filled frontal grooves, a minute or absent maxillary barbel, a dark spot close to the gill cleft, and in most species a short sharp projection from the first infraorbital. Species of Devario are mainly found in small schools up to 50-60 fish in streams at higher elevations. Devario species most of which share a predominantly horizontally striped colour pattern, characterized by dark vertical bars. five species of Devario are recorded from Sri Lanka.
- Devario monticola
- Devario malabaricus
- Devario micronema
- Devario memorialis
- Devario pathirana
Devario monticola
The Devario monticola, is a fish relating to the minnow family (Cyprinidae). It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Devario monticola is separated from D. malabaricus by the appearance (vs. absence) of occipital tubercles in males. Body with 4–5 dark irregular vertical bars on anterior half. Danionin notch present. Lateral line complete. Dorsum light yellowish-brown with a metallic sheen. Body silvery sheen laterally and ventrally. Vertical bars metallic blue with bright yellowish interspaces. Fins hyaline.
Devario malabaricus
Described from ‘Malabar, India’ and currently accepted to range throughout the Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka, though actually, it’s going to be defined to western-flowing drainages of India, and maybe even to the state of Kerala. Populates hill streams and upper parts of small rivers holding clear, well-oxygenated water with substrates of gravel and variably-sized rocks and a few marginal or over-hanging vegetation. Water flow, volume and turbidity are highly variable counting on the time of year, and a few populations survive in remnant pools during the season.
Devario micronema
Devario micronema, is belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae). It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Body with 3–5 irregular vertical bars on anterior half. There are 14–17 pre-dorsal scales and 10–11 branched dorsal-fin rays. Danionin notch present. Lateral line complete. There is a prominent square-shaped process on its first infraorbital. Dorsum light yellowish-brown with a metallic sheen. Body silvery sheen laterally and ventrally. Vertical bars metallic blue with bright yellowish interspaces. Fins hyaline.
Devario memorialis
Morphology and geographic distribution of Sri Lankan Devario in isolated populations show the presence of a distinct new species, which recently describe as Devario memorialis sp. nov.this research was conducted by Hiranya Sudasinghe, Rohan Pethiyagoda, Madhava Meegaskumbura ( for more information click here).
According to the research article “Evolution of Sri Lanka’s Giant Danios (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Devario): Teasing apart species in a recent diversification”
“Devario memorialis sp. nov., is immediately distinguished from all other Sri Lankan species of Devario by possessing only 8 (vs. 9–12)
branched dorsal-fin rays; and having the anal-fin origin vertically beneath dorsal-fin origin (vs. posterior to, beneath 3rd branched dorsalfin ray). It is additionally distinguished from species of the micronema clade (D. micronema: sensu Batuwita et al., 2017, D. pathirana, D. annnataliae and D. udenii) by the absence (vs. presence) of a process on the 1st infraorbital.”
Devario pathirana
The barred danio (Devario pathirana) is a fish relating to the minnow family (Cyprinidae). endemic to Sri Lanka, this fish grows to a maximum length of 2 inches (6 cm).In the wild, D. pathirana is recognized to be critically endangered but is freely available from captive-bred stock. Typically, the fish prefer water with a 6.0-8.0 pH, a water hardness of 5.0-19.0 dGH, and a perfect temperature range of 69-79 °F (20-26 °C). Its food consists of annelid worms, crustaceans, and insects. D. pathirana is oviparous (an egg layer), and is found only in the Nilwala River basin (Point endemic).
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