Taxonomy & naming
Garra flavatra was described by Kullander & Fang in 2004 from a stream near Thandwe in Rakhine State, Myanmar. It belongs to Garra, the large genus of sucker-mouthed labeonine cyprinids. The epithet flavatra appears to refer to yellow colouring, though the original derivation has not been checked.
Morphology
A typical small Garra: elongate, with a ventral mouth and a mental disc on the lower lip. The yellow to orange fin and body tones that give the hobby name are the main feature of the species. FishBase gives a maximum of 2.5 in SL.
Habitat
It is known from the western slopes of the Arakan range, in Rakhine State, Myanmar, where FishBase lists it as a freshwater, benthopelagic fish of tropical streams. The type locality is a small stream near Thandwe, reached on foot from a logging road. Water parameters at the type site have not been published.
Feeding
Garra species are grazers. The lower lip forms an adhesive mental disc, and the fish rasp algae, diatoms and biofilm from stone with the hardened jaw edge, taking small invertebrates and detritus along with it. Feeding in this species specifically has not been described.
Mating
Mating behaviour of this species has not been described. Related Garra are seasonal egg-scatterers with no parental care, with ripe males carrying snout tubercles.
Breeding
Spawning has not been documented for this species. Related Garra scatter eggs over stone and gravel and give them no care.
In the aquarium
FishBase notes that Fang, in a personal communication of 2004, considered this fish a possible aquarium species. Treat it as a hillstream fish: a long tank, strong flow, high oxygen, rounded stones and wood with algae and biofilm to graze, and a tight lid, since Garra climb and jump. Keep a group rather than a single fish, and give mixed algae wafers, sinking pellets and small live or frozen foods. Stock in the trade is wild-collected as far as is recorded, so quarantine carefully. Care notes here come largely from the genus.
Conservation
FishBase lists the species as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Vulnerable means the species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. The assessment year is not given in the FishBase entry, and the species is known from a very small area of Rakhine State.