Danio margaritatus bodies in the Inle drainage, the water is slightly alkaline. The habitat is heavily vegetated with Hydrocharitaceae similar to "Elodea" (water weed). The celestial pearl danio shares its habitat with a very few fish species: a "Microrasbora" similar to "M. rubescens", a rosy loach ("Yunnanilus", possibly a new species, and the dwarf snakehead "Channa harcourtbutleri". The latter species presumably is the only known significant predator of "D. margaritatus". The species is locally fished for food to some extent; it is dried and bought as a protein source by poor people. A can of some 500 "D. margaritatus" sold for food
Danio margaritatus Danio margaritatus Danio margaritatus, the celestial pearl danio, often referred to in the aquarium trade as galaxy rasbora or "Microrasbora" sp. 'Galaxy', is a small cyprinid from Myanmar. It has so far been found only in a very small area near Hopong east of Inle Lake, at an altitude of over 1,000 m (3,400 ft). Its habitat is part of the Salween basin, namely the Nam Lang and Nam Pawn Rivers. Discovered in 2006, the species quickly appeared in the aquarium trade, where its small size and bright colours made it an instant hit. This is a small, plump danionin