Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Danionidae / Princess Carplet
No federal permit to keepPrincess Carplet
Amblypharyngodon chulabhornae
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Danionidae (Danios and rasboras)
Amblypharyngodon chulabhornae, the princess carplet, is a species of carplet belonging to the family Danionidae from mainland south-east Asia.
Intro from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 1.6 in / 4 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 35 × 12 in (roughly 21 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 64–82 °F, pH 6–8, 2–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; suited to a community tank.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Best maintained in a densely-planted aquarium and is an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up.”
- Diet: “Likely to feed on small invertebrates, algae and other zooplankton in nature.”
- Tankmates: “This species is very peaceful indeed and places no special demands in terms of water chemistry thus it can be combined with many other species.”
- Breeding: “Unrecorded, but probably an egg-scatterer with no brood care post-spawning.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Danios and rasboras
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These Asian fishes occupy habitats ranging from zebra-danio pools and rice paddies to shaded harlequin streams, rocky Devario streams and planted galaxy-rasbora wetlands. [fg159-zebra, fg159-harlequin, fg159-giant, fg159-galaxy]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Use at least 90 × 30 cm (36 × 12 in) for zebra danios.
- Harlequins require at least 60 × 30 cm (24 × 12 in), shaded planted cover and subdued light.
- Devario aequipinnatus needs at least 120 × 45 cm (48 × 18 in), oxygenated water, moderate flow and a tight lid.
- Galaxy rasboras need dense planting and broken sight lines in at least 45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in), with gentle sponge filtration.
- Match chemistry: harlequins pH 5.0–7.5, 1–12 dGH; galaxy rasboras pH 6.5–7.5, 5–15 dGH.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 64.4–77°F |
Diet
- Quality flakes or granules sized to the fish.
- Live or frozen Daphnia and Artemia.
- Bloodworms for zebra danios, harlequins and Devario.
- Small sinking foods for galaxy rasboras, which rarely feed at the surface.
Social life
- Keep zebra danios and harlequins in groups of at least 8–10. Galaxy males spar: dense cover and larger groups distribute aggression. Active Devario can overwhelm timid feeders.
Health watch
- Pseudoloma microsporidiosis in zebra danios.
- Pleistophora infection and columnaris can produce similar white lesions in zebra danios.
- Nipped fins among rival galaxy males.
Understanding the animal
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Uses both the bottom and open water. Occurs in shallow standing water of paddy fields and ditches. It seems to prefer vegetated areas with floating aquatic vegetation as well as flooded terrestrial grasses. Oviparous. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 94°F (up to 97°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 64°F (down to 59°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 78–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 71–75% on average (driest month about 64%) |
| Rainfall | about 1367 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons |
Measured at 28 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Amblypharyngodon chulabhornae, the princess carplet, is a species of carplet belonging to the family Danionidae from mainland south-east Asia. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Amblypharyngodon chulabhornae has 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin with 8 in the anal fin, it has 31-32 vertebrae. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Occurs in shallow standing water of paddy fields and ditches. It seems to prefer vegetated areas with floating aquatic vegetation as well as flooded terrestrial grasses. Not seen in the markets. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek amblús meaning "blunted", pháruks meaning throat and odṓn meaning "toothed" in referenced to the shape of the pharyngeal teeth, the specific name is in honour of H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand in recognition of her interest in and patronage of the sciences and technology. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Conservation | It is still common and is treated as being of "Least Concern" by the IUCN but population in some areas appear to be in declining such as on Chao Phraya in Thailand while in waters around Phnom Penh the species remains common. It does not appear in the local fishmarkets but may be consumed by subsistence fishermen, and the main threat appears to be pollution. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 35 × 12 in (about 21 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Zebra danio (Danio / Brachydanio rerio) Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Trigonostigma heteromorpha Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Devario aequipinnatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Danio / Celestichthys margaritatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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