It can be found in the shallow waters of shaded, slow-flowing clear streams with a silt substrate.

Its diet consists of detritus and terrestrial insects.

[3] R. vaterifloris was formerly believed to be the only species in the genus and found in several river basins.

[4] However, a comprehensive taxonomic review in 2018 based on morphometry, meristics and mtDNA found that one of the species recognized in 2013, R. nigromarginatus (also restricted to the Kalu River basin), is a junior synonym of R.

[5] Although this expands its range in the Kalu River basin, R. vaterifloris is more threatened than the relatively widespread R.