Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus) Fish Species Profile
The vibrant colours and peaceful nature of the Galaxy Rasbora make them extremely popular.
This fish has an unusual body shape compared to other fish of the same species.
There is a notable difference in the colours of the males and females. The males exhibit rather bright blue body colouration with more colouration in their fins, where females exhibit duller bluish-greenish background colouration with a tint of yellowish colour to their bellies. Both the male and the female body present small pearly dots.
| Scientific Name | Danio margaritatus |
|---|---|
| Other Names | Galaxy rasbora, Fireworks rasbora, Rasbora toei, Chilli rasbora, Microrasbora |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Genus | Danio |
| Origins | Asia |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle - Top |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Scatterer |
| Lifespan | 3 - 5 years |
| Maximum Size | up to 2.5 cm |
| Water Type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 68 - 78 ℉ (20 - 25.6 ℃) |
| PH | 6 .5 - 7.5 |
| GH | 3 - 15 |
| KH | 1 - 5 |
| TDS | 100 - 500 |
Distribution & Origins
Celestial Pearl Danios live among dense vegetation in marsh areas fed by springs or in small ponds of cool high altitude wetland regions in South East Asia. The water needs to be slightly alkaline, and the temperature shouldn't be to warm.
To date, they have come across this species in a small mountainous area near Hopong East of Inle Lake in the outskirts of the Shan state capital of Taunggyi and the Southeast Asian nation of Burma
Dietary Requirements
The Galaxy Rasbora has a tiny mouth, so you need to take into account the size of the food.
This species is not choosy eaters and will happily eat high-quality commercial dry flakes, pellets and granules, but as they tend to stay in the bottom and mid-levels, sinking pellets would be more appropriate.
This species will also eat small live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, blood worms, daphnia and cultured white worms which will keep their colours vibrant.
If these foods aren't readily available, they will happily eat algae and plants.
Sexing the Celestial Pearl Danio
It is quite easy to differentiate a male and female Rasbora. The males are thinner and often more vibrant in colour, with a more orangy chest and the tail end of their bodies tend to be higher, whereas females are slightly duller and have a more rounded body shape.
Breeding the Celestial Pearl Danio
Galaxy Rasboras are known to scatter eggs when it is time for breeding then the male will swim over the eggs to fertilize.
unlike most fish species they do not seem to have spawning seasons
it is best to have soft water with minimal lighting.
The female will hide away her eggs in vegetation as a loose batch and will not lay too many eggs at once around 30 at a time. It is a process that may take a few hours with the male repeating the same thing over.
Once you are sure that the spawning and fertilization are complete, make sure you remove the adult fish from the tank because where possible the adults will eat the hatching fry.