Zebra Danio Information

Freshwater aquariums are common homes for zebra danios.

Zebra danios, also known as zebrafish, are a very common freshwater fish that can be found in many home aquariums. They are tiny schooling minnows native to Asia and India. As well as being popular pets, these fish are also commonly used as a model organism in scientific research, similar to a lab rat or lab mouse.

Physical Characteristics

Zebra danios are very small fish, usually only averaging no more than 2 inches long. There are giant strains (aptly named the Giant danio) that can reach up to 5 inches in length. They are generally top feeders, and spend much of their time just below the surface, schooling together with dozens of other zebra danios. They are often silver with shiny blue stripes running horizontally along their elongated bodies.

Geography

The zebra danio can be found in Asia and India, a native to the streams of the Himalayan region of Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh. It prefers slow-moving bodies of water, like creeks, slow rivers, ponds, lakes, and even watery rice fields. There are vagrant populations in the southern United States. Those fish were most likely former pets that the ex-owners released into the wild.

Diet

Zebra danios eats insects and their larvae, zooplankton and phytoplankton. It may also eat small crustaceans like shrimp or crab larvae, though typically anything larger than this will be too big for it. They will also eat tiny worms in both the wild and the home aquarium, where they will also readily consume commercial fish flakes.

GloFish

GloFish, which were introduced to the U.S. market in 2003, became a popular strain of zebra danios available for home aquariums. GloFish have been genetically modified with green, red, and yellow fluorescent proteins. These transgenic animals are sold in pet stores and glow under a black light.

In the Aquarium

Zebra danios are easy to care for and relatively inexpensive according to LiveAquaria. They cost just under $1.50 a piece in 2010. They don't have a troublesome reputation and get along well with other peaceful fish. They flourish in freshwater heated to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit and schools of four to six require only a 10-gallon aquarium, while larger groupings will require a little more space. If you elect to house a single Zebra danio, a 5-gallon tank will suffice.

References

• PubMed
• Sanger Institute
• Danios
• FishLore: Zebra Danios
• GloFish: FAQ