Confusingly, there are two species that are commonly known as the “brilliant rasbora.” Thankfully, they are quite easy to tell apart. Rasbora borapetensis has a silvery body with a pair of golden-yellow and black lines, which run from the gill plate to the red base of its tail. R. einthovenii, on the other hand, is silvery tan with a solid black line that runs down the entire length of the body, even crossing through the eyes and mouth. R. cephalotaenia (or porthole rasbora) looks similar to R. einthovenii because of the black line that crosses its eyes and mouth, but in the middle of the body, the black line appears to split slightly into two dotted lines that end in a small black dot at the tail base. In the wild, the two brilliant rasbora species can get up to 3.5–4 inches (9–10 cm) and the porthole rasbora can reach 5 inches (13 cm), but in captivity, most brilliant rasboras only grow to about 2–2.5 inches (5–6 cm).
They are found in Southeast Asian forest streams swimming amongst dense vegetation and leaf litter, so they prefer acidic pH below 7.0, 72–79°F (22–26ֻ°C), and soft to moderate hardness (depending on the species). As a peaceful but very active schooling fish, we recommend keeping them in a 30-inch (76 cm) aquarium or larger (e.g., 20-gallon long or 29-gallon tank) with a tight-fitting lid to prevent jumping. Pair them with other fast-swimming, soft water species like barbs and loaches, and feed them a varied assortment of community fish foods to avoid any nutrient deficiencies.
Approximate Purchase Size: 1/2" to 1"
Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase size is approximate.