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Luciosoma pellegrinii

Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Danionidae (Danios and rasboras)

Luciosoma pellegrinii is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Danionidae, the danios or danionins.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Easy

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FamilyDanios and rasboras

Adult lengthup to 6.7 in

WaterFreshwater

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 6.7 in / 17 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
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

Behaviour: 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:

Diet: “The major proportion of this species' natural diet is composed of terrestrial insects which are captured at the water surface, although presumably it also feeds on aquatic invertebrates, fish fry and suchlike.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

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.

Level 2 reflects common aquarium species. Water range is ONLY for zebra danios; harlequins use 69.8–82.4°F, galaxy rasboras 68–78.8°F and D. aequipinnatus 60.8–78.8°F. [fg159-zebra, fg159-harlequin, fg159-galaxy, fg159-giant] Avoid routine tannin-rich wood/leaf additions for galaxy rasboras. [fg159-galaxy] Giant danios are often misidentified as D. aequipinnatus. [fg159-giant] Obtain separate profiles for the listed Rasbora and T. espei before using these examples as a stocking prescription.

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.

Sources 877 878 879 880

Climate & lighting

Water

64.4–77°F

Sources 877 878 879 880

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.

Sources 877 878 879 880

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.

Sources 877 878 879 880

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.

Sources 877 878 879 880

Understanding the animal

This species is part of a group that hobbyists, aviculturists or zoos keep widely (Danios and rasboras), so it's included for completeness. It may be rare in captivity itself, or not kept at all. Use the group guide as a starting point and look for species-specific advice from experienced keepers.

About this animal

This fish is endemic to northeastern and eastern Borneo.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Luciosoma pellegrinii” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

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. Stays near the bottom. Usually found in deeper, slower water. An active fish, in constant motion at the surface of the water, feeding on material dropping into streams and has been observed leaping clear of the water to prey on material dangling above water.
Water it lives in	Freshwater.
Climate	Tropical climate.

FishBase species summary: Luciosoma pellegrinii

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 88°F (up to 89°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 73°F (down to 71°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	78–81°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	82–83% on average (driest month about 80%)
Rainfall	about 2354 mm a year, spread fairly evenly

Measured at 6 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

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.

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
Biology	Usually found in deeper, slower water. An active fish, in constant motion at the surface of the water, feeding on material dropping into streams and has been observed leaping clear of the water to prey on material dangling above water. — FishBase

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources6.7in

FishBase 1646.7

Seriously Fish species profiles 1676.7

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

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.

Luciosoma pellegrinii

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Care guide

Species care notes

Danios and rasboras

Housing & setup

Climate & lighting

Diet

Social life

Health watch

Understanding the animal

About this animal

In the wild

Native climate (measured)

From the sources

Data and studies

The numbers

Adult length

Sources for this sheet

More danios and rasboras

Barred danio

Bengal danio

Betadevario ramachandrani

Blackline rasbora

Blue danio

Brevibora cheeya