Cherry barb is an endemic fish inhabiting shaded shallow, slow flowing streams with silt substrate and leaf debris in the wet lowlands from Kelani to Nilwala basins up to about 300m a.s.l. It is not uncommon but becoming rare in most former habitats due to deforestation, pollution of streams and over fishing to export by the ornamental fish traders. It is an omnivorous fish and feeds on detritus, green algae, diatoms, diptera and animal matter (Pethiyagoda, R., 1991). Various color forms are reported depending on the locality.
