Endemic to Borneo where it’s known only from Brunei Darussalam and the northern tip of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. In Brunei there exist a number of known localities along the Mendarem River and in Labi rainforest, all in the administrative area of Labi which borders Sarawak to the south.

The Sarawak populations are restricted to the district of Baram, close to the town of Marudi. Populations from different localities have been observed to exhibit differences in colouration and patterning and these should therefore be maintained separately in aquaria.

The restricted natural range of this species has led it to be added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, on which it is listed as Vulnerable (D2). The ‘D2’ criterion refers to the ‘acute restriction in its area of occupancy’ and signifies that a given species could become critically endangered or extinct in a very short space of time. As a result the Sultan of Brunei has banned the species from export, meaning that most of the fish in the hobby are likely to originate from Sarawak where the species is not protected by law.

Brunei fish are still available but we’ve been unable to confirm whether these are being exported illegally or if the ban applies only to wild caught specimens and the ones currently being exported are captive-bred. It also appears that the area in which the Sarawak habitats lie will be turned into an oil palm plantation in the future.