Laubuka

Laubuka is a genus with 15 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Danios & Rasboras section, recorded from India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and 7 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1.5 in to 4 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
15
Adult sizes
1.5–4 in
IUCN assessed
15 of 15 · 4 threatened
Recorded from
10 countries

About the genus

Laubuka is a genus of small, laterally compressed minnows in family Danionidae (the danio and rasbora group), native to slow and moderate-flow rivers and streams across South and Southeast Asia - atlas records span India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. Atlas species run 1.5–4 in, distinctly narrow-bodied and silvery, with a sharply upturned mouth and, in several species, an enlarged, keeled pectoral fin base that lets them skitter and glide across the surface - the trait behind common names like 'flying minnow' for L. caeruleostigmata.

In the aquarium hobby, Laubuka are kept mainly by specialists as active, schooling, surface-dwelling fish - the Indian glass barb (L. laubuca) is the longest-established species in the trade, valued for its slender, near-transparent body and constant surface activity in a well-covered tank. Conservation status is mixed and concerning in places: the atlas tally includes 2 Endangered and 2 Vulnerable species alongside a large Not Evaluated share, and one species carries CARES conservation-priority status, reflecting pressure on South and Southeast Asian freshwater habitats from damming, pollution, and sand mining.

IUCN Red List: Endangered · 2 Vulnerable · 2 Near Threatened · 1 Data Deficient · 1 Not Evaluated · 9CARES 1 on the priority list

The 15 species

Every Laubuka recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Smith, 1931

Flying minnow, Leaping barb

3 in SL · EN CARES

(Silas, 1958)

2.5 in TL · VU

Sudasinghe, Pethiyagoda & Meegaskumbura, 2020

2 in SL · NE

Khin & Chen, 2025

3 in TL · NE

(Arunkumar, 2000)

VU

(Deraniyagala, 1960)

2.5 in SL · NT

Knight, 2015

1.5 in SL · NE

(Hamilton, 1822)

Indian glass barb, Indian hatchet fish, Winged danio

4 in TL · NE

Khin & Chen, 2025

2.5 in SL · NE

Lalramliana, Vanlalhlimpuia & Singh, 2017

2 in SL · NE

Fowler, 1939

2.5 in SL · DD

Khin, Song & Chen, 2026

2.5 in SL · NE

Kullander, Rahman, Norén & Mollah, 2018

2 in SL · NE

Knight, 2015

1.5 in SL · NE

Pethiyagoda, Kottelat, Silva, Maduwage & Meegaskumbura, 2008

2.5 in SL · EN

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Laubuka. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/laubuka/

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