This is one of two species traded under the vernacular name ‘tinfoil barb’, the other being the less well-known congener B. altus. Despite this it appears that B. altus is just as widely available as B. schwanefeldii and in many cases is seen on sale more regularly. Unfortunately both are usually offered at a small size (usually around 50 – 75 mm) with little to no information regarding the eventual size of the fish.

Little sun is able to penetrate the forest floor so aquatic habitats are shaded and water temperature may be relatively cool, while conductivity and hardness are generally low and pH slightly acid. Macrophytes are uncommon though there may be dense, marginal vegetation, sometimes overhanging the full width of the stream, the roots of which may penetrate the banks underwater. Typical substrates are sandy but covered by a layer of leaf litter with fallen twigs and branches.

This species is also traded as ‘checker barb’, ‘checkerboard barb’, or ‘island barb’, and is among the most ubiquitous species available in the aquarium trade. It is farmed commercially in enormous numbers with wild examples rarely, if ever, available.

It was formerly included in the polyphyletic catch-all genus Puntius which contained over 100 species, but this situation has been largely resolved since the turn of the century.

As of 2006 only 4.6% of the old forest was left with the remainder existing only in small, highly-fragmented patches, most covering areas less than 10 km², of which some are now officially-protected reserves. Kottawa Forest is one of these and comprises just 15-20 hectares of wet, evergreen jungle, though the combined Kottawa-Kombala forest covers around 1600 ha. A number of minor, pristine streams…

P. tetrazona is traditionally considered to be among the most ubiquitous species available in the aquarium trade. Wild examples are rarely traded, however, and there exists ongoing confusion as to the identity of the commercially-produced ‘aquarium’ tiger barb.

A number of selectively-bred, ornamental strains are available. The albino, ‘green’ (aka ‘moss’), and ‘golden’ (leucistic) variants are particularly pop…

This species is very rare in the trade and is normally imported only as bycatch among shipments of other fishes.

It can be told apart from its well-known congener B. dorsiocellata by a combination of characters as follows: lateral line complete (25-30 pored scales vs. 4-9); more scales in the lateral row (29-32 vs. 25-27); larger adult siz…

The fish appearing in the majority of earlier literature as P. arulius or ‘arulius barb’, and often still traded as such, is the related D. tambraparniei. Though similar the latter can be told apart from D. arulius by possession of filamentous extensions to the dorsal-fin rays in males, longer maxillary barbels measuring > ½ eye diameter, i.e., 2.4 – 4.7 % SL, and some aspects of colour pattern.

For many years this species was imported and sold as Barbus/Barbodes barilioides, now recognised as a junior synonym of ‘B.‘ fasciolatus, and is sometimes called the Blue Banded or Angola Barb.

It’s an exceptionally attractive little fish when in good condition but like all African barbs is quite rare in the hobby due to sporadic exports from the countries in which it is found. Distinguishing features include 25-30 late…

T. heteromorpha was first exported for aquaria in the early 1900s and has gone on to become one of the most familiar, enduring species in the hobby. It has suffered as a result of its popularity to a certain extent with the mass-produced fish we see today lacking much of the colour seen in wild specimens and even exhibiting morphological deformities in some cases.

Several selectively-bred ornamental strains have also…

One of the most ubiquitous species in the hobby and several ornamental strains are available including ‘long-finned’, ‘golden’, ‘albino’, and ‘super red’, for which care is identical to that of the ‘standard’ fish.

Unfortunately the degree of inbreeding amongst farm-bred stock has resulted in a situation whereby many of the fish available today are genetically weak and prone to disease or develop physical deformities.