Rasboroides vaterifloris

Rasboroides vaterifloris
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Danionidae
Subfamily:	Rasborinae
Genus:	Rasboroides
Species:	R. vaterifloris
Binomial name
Rasboroides vaterifloris (Deraniyagala, 1930)
Synonyms[2]
Rasbora vaterifloris Deraniyagala, 1930 Rasbora vaterifloris ruber Deraniyagala, 1958 Rasbora vaterifloris typica Deraniyagala, 1958 Rasbora vaterifloris rubioculis Deraniyagala, 1958 Rasbora nigromarginata Meinken, 1957

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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] Although this expands its range in the Kalu River basin, R. vaterifloris is more threatened than the relatively widespread R. pallidus.[5]

References

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. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Rasboroides". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Rasboroides vaterifloris". FishBase. October 2013 version.
4. 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.
5. 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