The Red Axelrodi Rasbora is naturally occurring in the Greater Sunda Islands of Borneo and Sumatra, including the Riau Archipelago and Bangka Island off the east coast of Sumatra. It has been recorded in various locations in Borneo, including the Indonesian provinces of West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. The species exhibits different colour forms depending on the locality, with green/blue coloration in fish from the south and east of Sarawak state in Malaysian Borneo, and red/orange coloration in those found in the west