A small striped minnow from fresh water in South Asia, sold as the zebra danio and widely used in lab research. Its eggs turn see-through almost at once, so scientists can watch it develop, and it is known for regrowing damaged tissue, including heart tissue.
Quick answers
What is it?Fish
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Commonly
Hardy, cheap and widely available, and considered good for beginner aquarists.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAsia, Rivers, North America
HabitatRivers & lakes
ColoursSilver, Blue
SizeTiny
LengthUp to 4–5 cm; usually 1.8–3.7 cm in the wild
LegsNone
Covered inScales
Lives ingroups
Lives for3–5 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, mainly the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins; introduced in parts of the US.
Did you know
Can regrow damaged heart tissue, and its see-through eggs make it a favourite lab animal.
It was the first fish sold as GloFish, genetically modified to glow green, red or yellow.
Adults live in shoals, and young fish start to prefer company at about 3 weeks old.
Often confused with
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