Pethia nigrofasciata (Gunther, 1868)

English Name - Black Ruby Barb
Sinhala Name - බුලත් හපයා / මනමාලයා

Pethia nigrofasciata

An endemic fish species ditsributed  in low wet zone of Southern and western provinces of sri lanka.The Black ruby barb prefers clear , shaded and shallow streams with rocky / sand substrata. It lives within marginal aquatic vegetation. The Black ruby barb is a popular species in the aquarium trade. It is  considered to be among the top five exported endemic fish species in sri lanka (Gunasekara, 2011 ). The Black ruby barb is listed an endangered species  in the national red list 2012.