Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Turquoise Danio
Danio kerri
Also called Blue danio, Kerr's danio
From Southwestern Thailand and northwestern Malaysia: islands and mainland of the Andaman coast including Phuket, Krabi, Ranong, Ko Yao Yai and Langkawi; clear rocky forest streams123
At a glance the quick version
Seriously Fish gives 4.5 cm SL and FishBase 5 cm TL
Looks how to spot one
Deep-bodied, scaled cyprinid
A relatively deep-bodied danio with a soft powder-blue side crossed by thin pinkish-gold lines running from the gill cover to the tail. Fish from the south of the range lean more yellowish. Females are slightly larger and rounder than males.13
Personality what they are like
Gentle and sociable, it makes an ideal member of a well-furnished community aquarium and is more confident in a group.13
Daily activity how busy a day looks
An active schooling fish that needs open swimming space as well as planted areas.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Regular partial water changes keep it in good condition. It can jump, so keep the tank covered.1
Home where they are happiest
A tank with a base of at least 80 x 30 cm (about 72 litres). Temperature 18-26 °C (FishBase 23-25 °C), pH 6.5-7.5, hardness 2-12 °H. Gravel, rocks and some plants suit it well.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Mainly an insect eater in the wild. Offer good dried food with small live or frozen extras such as bloodworm, Daphnia and Artemia.1
Company who they like around
Keep at least 8-10 together. Good tankmates are tetras, livebearers, rainbowfish and other small peaceful cyprinids.1
The story where it all began
The first specimen was collected on Ko Yao Yai in 1929 by the botanist A.F.G. Kerr, and Hugh M. Smith described the species in 1931, naming it in his honour.32
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is named after A.F.G. Kerr, who collected the first specimen in 1929.3
- 2
It often spawns at first light, scattering eggs over coarse gravel.3
- 3
Its base colour shifts from powder blue in the north of its range to yellowish in the south.1
- 4
It is not often seen in shops, which makes it a nice find for danio fans.1
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Assessed as Least Concern (March 2011)2
- FishBase
- Described by Smith in 1931; listed as an aquarium species2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Turquoise Danio. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Seriously Fish - Danio kerri seriouslyfish.comused for origin, size, tank and water parameters, diet, behaviour, appearance, availability
- FishBase - Danio kerri fishbase.seused for author/year, IUCN status, size, water parameters
- Wikipedia - Turquoise Danio en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, naming history, appearance, spawning
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.