fish · Danionidae
Eyespot rasbora
Rasbora dorsiocellata
Wild range: Peninsular Malaysia and western Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo); also reported from southern Thailand. Type locality is the Muar River at Tebing Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia. Some Bornean records may belong to the lookalike Brevibora cheeya. (Asia)
At a glance: Eyespot rasbora care
Compiled reference information. Review the care notes and original sources below.
What temperature is listed for Eyespot rasbora?
The compiled profile lists 20.0–25.0 °C for Eyespot rasbora (Rasbora dorsiocellata). Check the original sources below for context and differing recommendations.
What tank size is listed for Eyespot rasbora?
The profile lists a minimum tank volume of 10.0 US gallons (38.0 liters). Volume alone does not establish suitability; consider dimensions, group size and other inhabitants alongside the full care notes.
What pH is listed for Eyespot rasbora?
The compiled profile lists a pH of 6.0–7.5. Review the cited care sources alongside the other water parameters in this profile.
Natural habitat
A small, slender rasbora of gently flowing blackwater streams and rivers in ancient peat-swamp forest. The water is tea-stained, very soft and acidic (pH can fall to about 4), and often dim under the forest canopy, with leaf litter and wood on the bottom (Seriously Fish). In the wild it is a micropredator of small insects, worms, crustaceans and zooplankton (Seriously Fish; FishBase). It is named for the black spot on its white-edged dorsal fin, and commercially bred fish have a bright greenish-blue reflective patch in the eye.
Where they are found
Catalog primary is locked as Rasbora dorsiocellata Duncker, 1904. This follows the ITIS valid name (TSN 163747) and the long-established trade name. The Eschmeyer Catalog of Fishes, FishBase, GBIF and Seriously Fish now place it in Brevibora, as Brevibora dorsiocellata (Duncker, 1904), following Liao & Tan 2011 and later works. Brevibora dorsiocellata is recorded in aliases and here, not adopted as primary (Scott naming rule 2026-09-24). Rasbora macrophthalma Meinken, 1951 (described as a variety from aquarium stock) is a synonym. Original description: Duncker 1904, Mitteilungen aus dem Naturhistorischen Museum in Hamburg 21:182; type locality Muar River, Tebing Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia (CoF). Range: Peninsular Malaysia (Johor, and the Tasek Bera blackwater lake in Pahang), Sumatra (Riau) and Borneo (West and Central Kalimantan), with reports from southern Thailand (Seriously Fish). Identity caution: Brevibora cheeya Liao & Tan, 2011, from Terengganu, Malaya, Sumatra and Bangka, looks very similar, and some Kapuas (Borneo) records of B. dorsiocellata may actually be B. cheeya. Most aquarium fish are commercially bred plain forms with a green-blue eye patch; an occasional, probably wild-caught form has russet red at the base of the tail. IUCN Red List: Endangered (Ahmad 2019), driven by loss of peat-swamp habitat to plantations and development.
Aquarium care
An easy, very peaceful shoaling nano fish for a planted community tank. Locked minimum is 10 US gallons (~38 L) for a group: TankFlare 10–15 gal; TankBud 9 gal (35 L); Seriously Fish a 45 × 30 cm footprint (~41 L). A larger tank suits a bigger school better. Commercially bred fish adapt to a range of soft to moderately hard water; wild fish do best soft and acidic. Locked ~20–25°C, pH ~6.0–7.5, GH ~1–10 dGH. Source ranges: Seriously Fish 20–25°C, pH 5.0–7.5, 1–10 dGH. Maidenhead Aquatics 20–25°C, pH 5.0–7.0, up to 12 dH. TankBud 20–25°C, pH 6.0–7.5. Aqua-Fish.net 20–25°C, pH 6–7, 0–10 dH. FishBase wild record 20–25°C, pH 6.0–6.5, dH up to 12. Use gentle flow, a dark substrate, dense or floating plants, wood and leaf litter for shade, and fairly dim lighting. Do small, regular water changes and keep the water stable and clean.
Feeding
A micropredator that takes small insects, worms, crustaceans and zooplankton in the wild (Seriously Fish; FishBase). In the aquarium it accepts quality small flakes and micro-granules as a staple. Offer small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops and similar often for the best colour and condition (Seriously Fish; Aqua-Fish.net; Maidenhead Aquatics). Food must be small enough for its tiny mouth.
Compatibility
Very peaceful and an ideal community fish. Keep it with other small, calm species: small rasboras and other cyprinids, tetras, small livebearers, dwarf cichlids, small catfish and loaches such as Pangio, and gentle anabantoids such as Sphaerichthys or small Betta species (Seriously Fish). Its small adult size means it should not be housed with fish big enough to eat it or with boisterous, fin-nipping tankmates. Keep a school of at least 8–10; a larger group is less nervous, schools more naturally, and males colour up more as they compete (Seriously Fish; Maidenhead Aquatics; Aqua-Fish.net).
Breeding
Condition the group together with live and frozen foods, then move one or two well-fed pairs into a small, very dimly lit spawning tank with fine-leaved plants, spawning mops, or mesh or grass matting over the bottom so the eggs fall out of reach. Use soft, slightly acidic to neutral water toward the warm end of the range. Small additions of cooler water and frequent feeding can trigger spawning. Several spawnings usually occur over a few days. Remove the adults after about two days and use only a gentle sponge filter. Feed the fry Paramecium or infusoria first, then Artemia nauplii and microworms (Seriously Fish; Maidenhead Aquatics).
Sources
Compiled from multiple independent care sheets — not copied from a single site.