Interrupted danio

Devario interruptus

Also known as Yunnan devario

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–77°F (18–25°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 24 gal (90 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Irrawaddy headwaters, Yunnan, China
Family: Danionidae

Overview

A cool-water danio for temperate tanks, kept as a school of six or more where it swims tightly and stays active in midwater. It is peaceful and pairs well with other cool, current-loving fish such as white cloud mountain minnows and hillstream loaches. It jumps, so keep a tight cover. Feeding is simple: quality flake and micro pellets with frozen bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp. Its main requirement is temperature, so keep the heater low or off. A tank of around 90 liters with flow suits a group.

In the wild

The interrupted danio lives in cool, clear, swift mountain streams in the Irrawaddy headwaters of Yunnan, in southwest China, over a cobble and gravel bed with sparse plants. Recreate that with strong flow, high oxygen, rounded stones and gravel, and open swimming water. Keep it cool, 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

Good to know

Devario interruptus is a member of the danio family, Danionidae, reaching about 7 centimeters. Described by Day in 1870, it takes its name not from its stripes but from its lateral line, which stops short instead of running unbroken to the tail. There are no aquarium breeding records for it.

Did you know

The name sounds like it should describe the flank pattern, but it actually points to the lateral line, the row of sensory pores that in this fish stops partway along the body instead of reaching the tail.