15. Pathirana Salaya

Common Name:   Barred Danio

Scientific Name:   Devario pathirana

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae

Population:   Critically endangered 

Description :   Around 8-10 blue bands can be seen all over the body. The fins are light yellow. The body grows to a size of 6-8 cm. Mature males are more colourful  and noticeably slimmer plus they have orange distal edges to the ventral and anal fins, these being white in females.

Found where :   The barred danio is oviparous,and is found mostly in the Nilwala River basin.

Habitat:   The beautiful fish is habitat in the streams and rivers of the island nation.

Foods :   It's diet consists of annelid worms,small crustaceans, and insects.

14. Ipilikadaya

Common Name:   Redside Barb 

Scientific Name:   Puntius binaculatus

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae

Population:    Least Concern 

Description:   Grows up to 7 cm. A small fish with a slender body. Identifying gender. It has two black spots. Base of dorsal fin and junction of body and caudal fin. It has a band of color from the eyes to where he fins are. In nature males, the red band is dark red with a bronze green stripe. The eyes are red. Outer semicircle. In females, the red color is less, and the world belt will be difficult to distinguish from its body color. 

Habitat:   Inhabits hill streams, lowland Swamps and dry zone rivers and tanks. 

Foods:   Green algae and detritus 

13. Gal Padiya

 

Common Name:   Sri Lanka stone sucker

Scientific Name:  Garra ceylonsis

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae 

Population:   Common 

Description:   Grows up to 15 cm. A small elongated fish. The lower side of the body is gray and upper side is yellow. A dark black line can be seen on both of the body from head to the dorsal fin. The fins are dark brown in color.It is special that the mouth is turned under. Two small buds are located in front of the month.

Habitat:   This fish prefer rapidly flowing water bodies which contains rock.

Food:    Aquatic plants and Aquatic insects 

12. Mal Pulutta

 

Common Name:    Ornate Paradise fish 

Scientific Name:   Malpulutta kretseri

Animal Family:   Osphronemidae 

Found where: South- western ichthyological province.

Population:    Vulnerable 

Description:    In length about 10cm the surface of the lake has a bright green color and the lateral sides have a red color mixed with silver. Also 3 black spots can be seen laterally. The dorsal fin of the male is filamentous and has a bright teal green spot near the tip.  Male fish are smaller and more colorful than female fish.

Habitat: It inhabit shallow, slow-flowing streams in forested areas shaded with plentiful vegetation near the edges.

11. Kola Kanaya

 

Common Name:   Smooth-breasted snakehead/ Brown snake head

Scientific Name:   Channa orientails

Animal Family:    Channidae

Population:  Near Threatened 

Description:  Grows up to 15cm. The surface is dark brown ad the belly is white. Dorsal and ventral dark brown oblique stripes. The pectoral fins are light brown with scattered dark spots. The surface fin is blue and its outer edge is red. The anal fin is blue and its edge is white. There are additional respiratory organs  that can use atmospheric oxygen for breathing. They can breathe on land for a while. N wet weather , they can survive on land for more than four days. If the body dries up, it dies. The male carries the eggs and the female guards the territory.

Habitat:   South - Western ichthyological province, fresh water typically shaded streams 

Food:   plankton, insects, and small amphibians 

10. Lanka Thatu Dandiya

 

Common Name:  Lanka Blue Laubuca

Scientific Name:   Laubuka lankensis 

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae

Population:   Near Threatened 

Description:   Grows up to 6-7cm. There is yellow color between the scales on the top of the body.  The underside is grey. There is a blue line from the sides of the head to the tip, where yellow virum can be seen. The fin are transparent. Anal fine is quite large. The female is lighter in color than the male.

Habitat:   Mahaweli ichthyological province
 

09. Thabalaya , Gal Katuwa

Common Name:   Red fin labea

Scientific Name:   Labeo lankae

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae 

Population :   Critically endangered 

Description:   Grows up to 20 - 30 cm. Surface color is olive green. Laterally it is pale and ventrally greyish white. Adult fish have reddish -orange fins. There is a teardrop -shaped dark spot near the tail fin. Outstanding buds get a pair. There is a dorsal ventral time with included fleshy lips. The color of young fish is slightly different from the appearance of an adult fish. The cubs are silver in color. Their fins are pale yellow. Red around the eyes.

Habitat:  These fish found in lakes and rivers are most common in sandy and rocky places.

Food:   Algae 

• According to the Red Data Report, hunting and selling of these endangered fish is prohibited by law.

08. Uda Hadaya

 

Common Name:   Ceylon Killifish

Scientific Name:   Aplochelius dayi

Animal Family:  Cobitidae

Population:   Near Threatened 

Description:    Grows to length of 9 cm . Both males and females have a black dot at the rear end of the dorsal fin. The back of the body is striped like a zebra. A horizontal bar of border is placed above the anal fine. Males have irregular black spots on their bodies and females lay 50 - 150 eggs. The eggs are large and have a hard shell. After 12 -14 days the young hatch.

Habitat:   in freshwater

Food:   Small insects and fish fry

07. Magura

 

Common Name:   Sri Lanka walking catfish 

Scientific Name:   Clarias brachysona

Animal Family:   Clariidea

Size:    Grows up to 50cm. Body color varies from dark brown to light brown. There are 3 pairs of barbels around the mouth. Black dots are scattered all over the body and an anal fin and a dorsal fin can be seen continuously growing to the caudal fin. Sticky yellow eggs are laid on a nest made of aquatic plants. Eggs are guarded by male fish . Currently under threat.

Habitat:   It is not found in the mountains and northern areas, but can be found in the Lowland of the Toka region, and in swamps where fresh water gathers around lagoon.

Food:   Carnivorous. Eat fish, Crab,and frogs.

06. Wilpita Dandiya

 

Common Name:   Sri Lanka Wilpita Rasbora

Scientific Name:   Rasbora wilpita

 
Animal Family:   Cyprinidea 

Population:   Endangered

 
Description:   Grow up to 8cm. It has an elongated body with a terminal mouth. The dorsal side is olive brown and the lateral side shows a pink color, besides a blue line running from the nasal to the hypural. The upper border of this line has a sharp edge and the bottom has a tooth- edged pattern, ventrally it is white. The fins are transparent and the pectoral,anal and caudal fins show a yellow color.

Habitat:   Kelani to Nilwala river basin. Shaded slow flowing streams with muddy or leafy substrates.

Foods:   slow sinking granules, frozen food such as bloodworms, white mosquito larvae

05. Bulath Hapaya

 

Common Name:   Black Ruby Bar / Head barb

Scientific name:   Pethia nigrofasciata

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae 

Population:   Vulnerable 

Description:   Grows up to 6-8cm. Females are slightly longer than male. Young fish have a yellow -gray body with black vertical stripes. Breeding males are dark red. Lays more than 100 eggs in shallow water between plants. The eggs hatch in a day or two and fish can be seen after 24 hours.

Habitat:  In streams fresh water on hilla around 1000ft. 

Food:    flake , granules, pellets, algae wafers and frozen foods.

04. Le Thittaya

Common Name:   Cherry Barb

Scientific Name:   Puntius titteya

Animal Family:   cyprinidae

Population:   Vulnerable 

Description:   A fish with a small elongated body. It grows up to 5cm long. Female have a faint green sheen and their flanks and bellies are highlighted with shiny silver.It may have a pinkish tone on the back and upper sides. A horizontal bar extended from the tip of the nose through the eye to the base of the caudal fin. The male has a red color, becoming very dark red (cherry fruit color) when breeding. Female have two pink stripes down their sides, which darken when ready to breed. The female lays between 200 and 300 eggs, which she scatters on plants and substrate. Chicks can be seen after 4 days.

Habitat:   Heavily shaded, shallow , and clam water

Food:   Small insects,Crustaceans,and detritus.

03. Thal Kossa

 

Common Name:   Ceylon combtail

Scientific Name:   Belontia signata 

Animal Family:   Osphronemidae

Population:   Vulnerable 

Description:   A species of gorami Grows up to 10-18cm. They have rudimentary organ  like lungs and breaths in poorly oxygenated water or even out of water.very colorific. Dorsal part is red. Male are very colorful and females are brownish color. Juveniles are difficult to divide as male or female. Male make bubble net . Female lay eggs on bubble net. Male protect eggs until juveniles come out.

Habitat:   Shaded margin of slow flowing, shallow clear streams with pebbles or sand substrates

Food:   small fish , insects

02. Hitha Massa

 

Common Name :   Black lined barb , Side striped Barb

 
Animal family:   cyprinidae

Scientific Name:   Puntius pleurotania

Population:  Vulnerable 

Description:   Grows up to 10cm. Occasionally grows up to 15cm. Often found in small group.

Habitat:   A fresh water fish native to Sri Lanka. Lives in clean fresh water stream under the shade of trees. Classified as vulnerable due to population decline. By purchasing privately owned forest lands boarding these streams and permanently designating them as conservation forests, the rainforest conservancy aims to save the black lined barb from extinction.

Food:  Algae,insects,worms and decaying matter 

01. Damkola Pethiya

 

Common Name :   Sri Lanka Filamentd Barb

Scientific Name:   Dawkinsia Singhala

Animal Family:   Cyprinidae 

Population:   Common 

Description:   Grow up to 7- 8 cm. Filamentous dorsal fin with elongated ray are absent in females. Younger have 3 black bands on body which fade with maturity.

Habitat:   Asia: Sri Lanka. This species was previously identified as Puntius filamentous in Sri Lanka. Found in wet, dry and intermediate zones. Found in variety of habitats from slow flowing streams.

Food: They often feed on variety of food sources such as aquatic plants, insects , worms and small fish