# Zebra Danio (*Brachydanio rerio*)

Zebra Danios are lively little fish with stripes that look like a zebra! They love to dart around and play in the water.

- **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Freshwater streams and ponds
- **Also known as:** Zebra Fish

![Zebra Danio](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426680/objects/4736.jpg)

## Appearance

The Zebra Danio has a slender, torpedo-shaped body, typically silvery-gold with four distinctive blue-black horizontal stripes running from gill to tail. Its small size and vibrant markings make it easily recognizable among freshwater fish.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Actinopterygii
- **Order:** Cypriniformes
- **Family:** Cyprinidae
- **Genus:** Danio

## Interesting facts

- Female Zebra Danios can lay hundreds of eggs in a single day, helping new babies hatch fast!
- Scientists can make these fish glow in the dark by adding a special gene, creating 'GloFish'!
- These tiny fish are incredibly important for studying human diseases, like heart problems!
- Zebra Danios were the first vertebrate animals to travel into space, aboard a Russian rocket!

## Special abilities

- **Super Healer Fins:** Zebra Danio can regrow damaged fins and even heart tissue, because of powerful regenerating cells that help them recover quickly.
- **Schooling Shield:** Zebra Danio can swim in large groups called schools because this teamwork confuses predators and helps them stay safer together.
- **Hardy Habitat Helper:** Zebra Danio has a tough body that helps them live in many different water conditions, making them very adaptable survivors.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 3-5 cm
- **Weight:** 0.0002-0.0007 kg
- **Lifespan:** 2-5 years
- **Swim Speed:** 2.5 km/h
- **Maximum Depth:** 1.5 m
- **Water Type:** Freshwater

## Diet & Feeding

These tiny fish munch on small insects and plant bits floating in the water.

- **Primary Foods:** Mosquito larvae, Water fleas, Algae, Detritus
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Common Kingfisher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-kingfisher) (*Alcedo atthis*) — hunts them in shallow waters
- **Eaten by:** Spotted Snakehead (*Channa punctata*) — larger fish that prey on them
- **Eats:** Common Mosquito (*Culex pipiens*) — larvae are a food source
- **Eats:** Common Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — tiny zooplankton they consume

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

## Collections

- [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Zebra Danio?

Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Zebra Danio?

3-5 cm

### How much does Zebra Danio weigh?

0.0002-0.0007 kg

### How long does Zebra Danio live?

2-5 years

### What does Zebra Danio eat?

These tiny fish munch on small insects and plant bits floating in the water.

### How fast can Zebra Danio swim?

2.5 km/h

### Where is Zebra Danio usually found?

Freshwater streams and ponds

### How does Zebra Danio hunt?

Foraging

## More Fish

- [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*)
- [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*)
- [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*)
- [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*)

---

Source: [Zebra Danio: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/zebra-danio)