Taxonomy & naming
Roberts described Gymnochanda flamea in 1995; the description appeared in the Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, volume 42 (1994), page 268. The type locality is Danau Sembuluh at Bangkal, Seruyan basin, Kalimantan Tengah, southern Borneo, Indonesia. Syntypes are held at MNHN (1992-1055, 78 specimens), USNM (325094, 8 specimens) and ZRC (22861-66). The species belongs to the family Ambassidae. Kottelat and Widjanarti (2005) used the name "cf. flammea" for fish now identified as Gymnochanda ploegi, so the two species have been confused. The trade sometimes sells it as "flame glass fish" under the wrong name Chanda flammeus.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum of 1 in SL for males or unsexed fish. Aquarium Glaser describes it as a red filamentous glassfish with a completely scaleless, transparent body. Only the silvery peritoneum over the abdominal cavity shows through. Males have elongated rays in the second dorsal and anal fins that form a single-thread extension, and their fin colour is more intense white and/or red. Females are mostly colourless or pale.
Habitat
FishBase classes it as freshwater, benthopelagic and tropical, and lists it as known only from the type locality, Danau Sembuluh in the Seruyan basin of south Borneo, Indonesia. Aquarium Glaser describes the habitat as open areas in brownwater habitats beside peat and freshwater swamp forest. FishBase gives no temperature, pH or hardness range.
Feeding
FishBase lists cladocerans, copepods and insects as food. Aquarium Glaser reports that it eats only live food.
Mating
Courtship and spawning behaviour have not been described for this species.
Breeding
FishBase has no reproduction entry, and the species has not been bred in captivity so far as the atlas records.
In the aquarium
Aquarium Glaser sells it as a pure freshwater fish that needs no salt. It gives a maximum of about 1.5 in in the aquarium, which is longer than the FishBase figure for wild fish. Aquarium Glaser recommends soft, slightly acidic water at pH 6–7 and 75–82 °F. It describes the fish as peaceful and advises keeping it only with other tiny peaceful species. It takes live food only. Those water values are the importer's recommendation, not a measured range from the wild.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed Gymnochanda flamea as Data Deficient in 2019, which means the information needed to judge its risk of extinction is lacking. FishBase notes that the species is known only from its type locality.