Purple Cypris

About

Found only a handful of times in the aquarium trade, this unidentified danionid, Devario sp. 'purple cypris', has spent years circulating under the misidentification of Inlecypris jayarami. Closer examination tells a different story: this fish carries 9 to 10 lateral bars that grow progressively larger toward the tail, a noticeably blunt and rounded snout, and a flatter head profile. Features that clearly separate it from the species it was confused with. The anal fin also has fewer rays than its lookalike, and the fins themselves show only fine dark speckling rather than distinct stripes. Because of its rarity in the hobby, much about its wild origins remains uncertain, but it belongs to a group of small stream-dwelling cyprinids typical of South or Southeast Asia. In the aquarium it is an easy-going, beginner-friendly fish that does best in a proper school of at least 8 to 10 individuals. A larger group keeps individuals calmer and draws out the best coloration in males, who display more intensely when competing for female attention. Suitable tankmates include small loaches from groups like Lepidocephalichthys or Nemacheilus, diminutive catfishes, freshwater gobies, and shrimp. Give them open water to school and some cover to retreat into.