Dawkinsia chalakkudiensis

About

Found only in the upper Chalakkudy River of Kerala, India, this obscure cyprinid, Sahyadria chalakkudiensis, carries one of the more convoluted backstories in the hobby. When fish from this species were first exported in 1996, they were misidentified as the closely related Sahyadria denisonii, and confusion over names persisted for years afterward, with unrelated species occasionally sold under its label. The two Sahyadria species share a bold color pattern, a scarlet stripe running along the upper body, a broad dark lateral band, and a yellow stripe between them, but this species can be distinguished by its downward-angled mouth, a black marking in the dorsal fin, and a duller red stripe that ends before or beneath the start of the dorsal fin rather than extending further back as in its congener. It inhabits well-vegetated river sections with clear, often fast-moving water. Behaviorally, this is not a fish for a peaceful community setup. It can be genuinely aggressive and does best alongside robust tankmates of similar size, such as larger cyprinids, catfishes, or botiid loaches. It is a shoaling rather than true schooling species, developing a clear pecking order within the group, so keeping five or more individuals is important to spread out any aggression. An intermediate-level fish that rewards a keeper who does their homework.