The Golden Wonder Panchax is actually a gold color morph of the Striped Panchax and is not a naturally-occuring morph. These fish have been selectively bred for the aquarium hobby. The Striped Panchax is not an annual species and can be found throughout southern India and in Sri Lanka. This species inhabits permanent bodies of water such as mountain streams, lakes, swamps and rice paddies. Though females of this species tend to be fairly bland in color, males often exhibit vibrant yellow coloration on the rear half of their bodies and on their fins. Many specimens also exhibit faint vertical banding on the rear half of the body as well as on the fins.