Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Danionidae / Sabah danio
No federal permit to keepSabah danio
Nematabramis everetti
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Danionidae (Danios and rasboras)
Nematabramis everetti is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Danionidae, the danionins or danios.
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 4.1 in / 10.5 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
- 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: “Feeds chiefly on terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates taken near the water surface.”
- Breeding: “Apparently prefers to spawn in warm, shallow water.”
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
About this animal
About this animal
This fish is endemic to Sabah. It belongs to the genus Nematabramis.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Nematabramis everetti” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
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. Uses both the bottom and open water. Recorded from rivers. Adults found mostly in deeper, slower areas, while sub-adults found in riffles and juveniles in cut-off areas. |
| 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 87°F (up to 89°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 72°F (down to 66°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 74–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 80–83% on average (driest month about 79%) |
| Rainfall | about 2634 mm a year, spread fairly evenly |
Measured at 26 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 | Nematabramis everetti is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Danionidae, the danionins or danios. This fish is endemic to Sabah. It belongs to the genus Nematabramis. It reaches up to 10.5 cm in length. — 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 |
| Reproduction | The fish prefer to spawn in shallow water with temperatures ranging from 26-28C. The different time needed to reach maturity by males and females creates problems when trying to be bred in captivity. — FishBase |
| Biology | Adults found mostly in deeper, slower areas, while sub-adults found in riffles and juveniles in cut-off areas. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The fish is named in honor of Alfred Hart Everett (1848–1898), a naturalist, a British civil servant and an administrator in Borneo, who collected the holotype specimen. — 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.
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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