Slender Danio

About

Slender danios (Brachydanio tinwini) are a compact little fish with a distinctive spotted pattern on their unpaired fins. A detail that sets them apart from closely related species like B. kyathit and B. nigrofasciata, which tend toward striped fin markings instead. They come from a narrow native range: currently known only from the Mogaung Chaung, a stream system in Kachin State, northern Myanmar, where they share the watershed with several other fish that have become popular in the hobby. First appearing in the trade around 2003, they've circulated under a handful of informal names before their formal description. In the aquarium they are easygoing and forgiving, making them a solid choice for newer keepers. Being genuine schooling fish, they really should be kept in groups of eight or more. A larger group brings out bolder coloration in the males as they display among themselves, and the fish simply behave more naturally and confidently. Their small adult size is the main thing to bear in mind when selecting tankmates; paired with other small, peaceful fish they integrate well into a community. They breed readily in the egg-scattering fashion typical of small cyprinids, and in a mature, well-planted setup, fry can appear on their own without any special effort from the keeper.