2008 FAAS Publication Awards. Please follow reprint instructions at http://www.faas.info/2008_publication_awards_winners.html#reprintpolicy

A New Star in the Galaxy The Celestial Pearl , Celestichthys margaritatus

by ALEXANDER A PRIEST

he celestial pearl danio is a fairly new then, additional populations have been discovered species, discovered in August of 1996. around Hopong, a town in the Shan State of eastern TOriginally, it was given a tentative scientific Myanmar3. Fortunately, this has also been name of “Microrasbora sp. 'Galaxy'” and a found to breed in the home aquarium (it was first common name of “galaxy .” (It was bred in captivity in England by Pete Liptrot and initially considered to be a member of the Paul Dixon of the Bolton Museum Aquarium); and Microrasbora , due to its similarity to domestically bred stock is usually available, Microrasbora erythromicron.) It has now been although demand generally remains high. officially described by taxonomist Tyson R. The celestial pearl danio is a very small fish Roberts at the Smithsonian Tropical Research that only attains a length of about one inch. institute in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology in Nonetheless, before its introduction to the February 2007, and placed in a new genus. It is aquarium hobby trade, these fish were caught, now known as Celestichthys margaritatus (which dried, and sold for food by the local people. A can means “heavenly fish adorned with pearls”) and is of approximately 500 C. margaritatus, when sold presently the only species in the genus as food, brought in about 25 kyat (or about $3.90 Celestichthys. It belongs to the subfamily U.S. dollars). Now, when sold to the aquarium Danionae and to the family . The first trade, each fish live is worth about one kyat. This article in a commercial magazine on this fish was means that 500 live fish can bring in nearly $80 — in the December 2006 issue of the British a significant increase, especially for residents in a publication, Practical Fishkeeping in its country that remains one of the poorest nations in “Interesting Imports” column 1. southeastern Asia.

Celestichthys margaritatus - male Celestichthys margaritatus - female

When the celestial pearl danio was first One of my all-time favorite fish is the pearl introduced to the hobby (as the “galaxy rasbora”), gourami, Trichogaster leerii. To a great extent, the its exact collection location was kept secret for celestial pearl danio reminds me of the pearl commercial reasons. That location was eventually gourami. It is one pretty little fish. Its body is discovered to be shallow wetland ponds in the sprinkled with small, pearly dots, calling to mind Salween Basin, northeast of Inle Lake in Myanmar (for me at least) the pearl gourami. (Interestingly, (formerly Burma). The bright colors and small the chest of males is more orange, another size of this species made it an instant hit with similarity to the pearl gourami.) The gill covers of hobbyists. It immediately became so popular that the celestial pearl danio are transparent, allowing only two months after its introductory article on the blood-red gills beneath to be clearly visible. them, Practical Fishkeeping reported that catches The background body color of males is bright blue, were down to just a few dozen per day, apparently with males being more brightly colored than due to over-collection2. females, and having more red on their fins. The As a result, in February 2007, the government caudal peduncle is higher in males than in females. of Myanmar banned exports of the fish. Since The red fins have black bars and patterns, which

12 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)December December 2008 2008 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S 5(NY)

2008 FAAS Publication Awards. Please follow reprint instructions at http://www.faas.info/2008_publication_awards_winners.html#reprintpolicy 2008 FAAS Publication Awards. Please follow reprint instructions at http://www.faas.info/2008_publication_awards_winners.html#reprintpolicy

are more numerous tea colored) so that and darker in Scientific name: Celestichthys margaritatus the actual pH my fish males. In general, Common name: Galaxy Rasbora, spawned in was females are less Celestial pearl danio, Fireworks Rasbora slightly acidic (6.8 or colorful and have Geographic location: Myanmar (Burma) so). In their native rounder bodies. Size: Up to 1 inch (2.5cm) habitat, the water While a generally Temperament: Peaceful temperature is around peaceful species, Temperature: 70EF-78EF 70EF, but since the males will flare out Acidity: pH 6.8-7.5 water is shallow, it is their fins Hardness: Slightly hard to slightly soft also prone to rapid “squaring” to each Skill level: Intermediate temperature other, resulting in Minimum tank size: 2.5-5 gallons fluctuations. some spectacular Reproduction: Egg scatterer So, you can see displays (when you Nutrition: Omnivorous that this is basically a are lucky enough to relatively tough and catch them at it, as adaptable little fish. this is also a very shy species). It should do well in a fairly wide range of water These fish are egg scatterers. I have read and conditions, and is suitable for almost any been told that their tank should have marbles, or community tank of small, peaceful fish. It might Java Moss, or a screen to also be a good candidate allow eggs to fall into and for a mini or desktop to prevent the adults from aquarium. eating the eggs. I have If you see them, they also read and been told are certainly worth that the fry need live checking out, especially micro organisms to feed if you have a community on for the first few days tank of very peaceful fish, of their lives. Well, I had or a spare small tank a group of a half-dozen available. While they are celestial pearl in a not all that common yet in five-gallon tank, with no pet stores, they do often Java Moss, no marbles (in pop up in Internet sales fact no substrate at all), and auction sites (such as but with two caves (one aquabid.com) or in made from a coconut shell aquarium society with an Anubias sp. auctions. (In fact, I got coffeefolia plant my fish at a Greater City attached). One day, my Aquarium Society wife told me that she saw auction.) fry in the tank. Sure enough, with only flake food (they are omnivorous, and will eat flake, pellet, freeze-dried, live, or frozen food, if it is Map of Myanmar with Lake Inle circled small enough), and very minimal maintenance, my celestial pearl danios References spawned, and some fry survived. (It should be noted that this tank had both a box and a sponge 1 Clarke, Matt: “The next big thing: Microrasbora filter, and that it is quite possible that naturally sp. Galaxy,” Practical Fishkeeping, September occurring microorganisms on the sponge filter 2006. were sufficient to feed the newly hatched fry.) Some collectors claimed that the water in 2 Clarke, Matt: “Galaxy rasbora under threat” which these fish are collected has a pH of 7.3 Practical Fishkeeping February 2007. (slightly alkaline) with a hardness of 7 GH (slightly hard). My New York City tap water is 3 Clarke, Matt: “New populations of Celestichthys very soft, and has a neutral pH (7.0, almost discovered” Practical Fishkeeping, June 2007. exactly). The coconut shell in their tank appears to leach tannins into the water (making it somewhat

Modern6 Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) DecemberDecember 2008 2008 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) 13

2008 FAAS Publication Awards. Please follow reprint instructions at http://www.faas.info/2008_publication_awards_winners.html#reprintpolicy