Dario urops

Overview

A conspicuous black eyespot on the tail peduncle helps identify Dario urops, a badid from India's Western Ghats. Its southwestern distribution is separated from that of most northern Indian and Myanmar relatives, while its exact relationship within the group remains open to study.

Distribution & habitat

Records include the Valapattanam system in southern Karnataka, the Agumbe area, and Cauvery headwaters in Wayanad, Kerala. The Valapattanam drains west to the Arabian Sea, whereas the Cauvery flows east to the Bay of Bengal.

The type site is a small stream beside the Barapole tributary at about 811 m elevation, reaching approximately 10 m wide and 2 m deep. In January 2012 it held clear water over sand, mud, and large boulders with extensive semisubmerged Lagenandra. Fish used hanging tree roots and thick leaf deposits in slower sections along the margins.

Diet & feeding

The genus captures small aquatic crustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and zooplankton. Captive care can use suitably small live or frozen Artemia nauplii, Daphnia, microworms, and banana worms. Check that cautious feeders actually obtain food.

Bloodworms and Tubifex are associated with obesity and health problems in these fishes and are best left out of the regular menu.

Sexual dimorphism

Mature males develop elongated pelvic, dorsal, and anal fins, providing a comparatively clear sex-related character.

Notes

The tail-peduncle blotch and horizontal stripe beneath the eye help separate it from relatives. The membranes of the male's front dorsal region do not project conspicuously beyond the spine tips, unlike those of several congeners. It also lacks the flank bars seen in Dario dario.

Although formally described in 2012, nineteenth-century specimens from Wynaad had been recorded as Badis dario. Reexamination of museum material matched them to this species. A recent name therefore need not indicate a recent first collection, and historical identifications cannot simply be transferred to modern species concepts.