About Rasbora elegans Volz, 1903
Rasbora elegans Volz, 1903 can be easily distinguished from other species in its genus by the absence of a dark stripe along the lateral line. Instead, it has one rectangular spot located below the dorsal fin origin and lateral line, and a second triangular spot at the caudal peduncle. The spots may be dark black or faded, depending on the species' habitat and locality. In some cases, a small marking can be present above the anal fin. R. bunguranensis and R. spilotaenia were previously thought to be subspecies of R. elegans. This species is native to Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and the Greater Sunda Islands, with the exceptions of Sulawesi and Java. In Peninsular Malaysia, it is mostly found in Johor and Pahang, but has also been reported from the states of Negeri Sembilan, Perak, and Kelantan. It is a common species in Singapore, and can even be found outside the island's central catchment area. On the Greater Sunda Islands, the only confirmed record of the species on the Sumatra group is from the small island of Nias, though it is presumed to also occur on the Sumatran main island. On Borneo, it is only confirmed to occur in East Kalimantan and parts of the lower Kapuas River basin in West Kalimantan. It is not known whether the species occurs in Malaysian Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, or North Kalimantan, Indonesia. Its habitat consists of clear forest streams and creeks with sandy or rocky bottoms, where it spends most of its time near the surface searching for insects and other prey.
