Rasboroides vaterifloris

Rasboroides vaterifloris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Danioninae
Genus: Rasboroides
Species:
R. vaterifloris
Binomial name
Rasboroides vaterifloris
(Deraniyagala, 1930)
Synonyms
  • Rasbora vaterifloris Deraniyagala, 1930
  • Rasbora vaterifloris ruber Deraniyagala, 1958
  • Rasbora vaterifloris typica Deraniyagala, 1958
  • Rasbora vaterifloris rubioculis Deraniyagala, 1958

Rasboroides vaterifloris, known as the pearly rasbora, vateria flower rasbora or fire rasbora, is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish endemic to Sri Lanka. It can be found in the shallow waters of shaded, slow-flowing clear streams with a silt substrate. It also prefers areas with plentiful leaf debris. Its diet consists of detritus and terrestrial insects. This species can reach a length of 4 centimetres (1.6 in) TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.[2]

R. vaterifloris was formerly believed to be the only species in the genus and found in several river basins. A study in 2013 found that it was restricted to the Kalu River basin, with related species inhabiting other basins.[3] However, a comprehensive taxonomic review in 2018 based on morphometry, meristics and mtDNA found that one of the species recognized in 2013, R. nigromarginatus (also restricted to the Kalu River basin), is a junior synonym of R. vaterifloris.[4] Although this expands its range in the Kalu River basin, R. vaterifloris is more threatened than the relatively widespread R. pallidus.[4]

  1. ^ Palmer-Newton, A.; de Alwis Goonatilake, S.; Fernado, M.; Kotagama, O. (2020). "Rasboroides vaterifloris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T117512666A174845100. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T117512666A174845100.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Rasboroides vaterifloris". FishBase. October 2013 version.
  3. ^ Batuwita, Sudesh; de Silva, M.; Edirisinghe, U. (November 2013). "A review of the danionine genera Rasboroides and Horadandia (Pisces: Cyprinidae), with description of a new species from Sri Lanka". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 24 (2): 121–140.
  4. ^ a b Sudasinghe, H., J. Herath, R. Pethiyagoda and M. Meegaskumbura. (2018). Undocumented Translocations Spawn Taxonomic Inflation in Sri Lankan Fire Rasboras (Actinopterygii, Cyprinidae). PeerJ. 6:e6084. doi:10.7717/peerj.6084