C. gachua is native to freshwater habitats in southern Asia, where it has a wide distribution from Iran to Indonesia.

[2] Males have more-extended dorsal and anal fins than females, and develop more intense color pattern.

[6] The species was recorded from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

[1] It can live in large rivers or small brooks and creeks, in fast currents or stagnant waters, and in altered waterways such as canals.

[4][5] The isolated Sri Lankan population is also highly distinctive from a genetic point of view, leading some to recognize it as C.