At one locality close to Serian, Sarawak, the habitat comprised a swiftly-flowing, clear hill stream with a substrate of quartz gravel and variably-sized rocks. The pH was 7.0 and there was no aquatic vegetation. The stream was approximately 10 metres across at its widest point and between 5-80 cm deep. B. taeniata was found in sluggish stretches among submerged tree roots, leaf litter, or overhanging riparian vegetation.

This species is included in the B. bellica group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage of which members share the following set of characters: long and slender body with dorsal and ventral margins almost parallel; body depth 23-28 % SL; 30-33 anal-fin rays; 11-13 dorsal-fin rays; 32-34 total vertebrae; body dark brown in colour with iridescent green markings on each individual scale.

This species was traded as B. sp. ‘Kapuas’ prior to its formal description and continues to be mislabelled B. dimidiata. The two can easily be told apart as the caudal-fin is rounded in B. krataios but spade-shaped and in adults, highly-extended in B. dimidiata.

Together these two comprise the B. dimidiata group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, members of which can be characterised b…

In the exceptionally diverse Danau Sentarum lake system of the upper Kapuas River basin, West Kalimantan, sympatric species include Scleropages formosus, Barbonymus gonionotus, B. schwanenfeldii, Crossocheilus nigriloba, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, C. repasson, Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus, Labiobarbus ocellatus , Leptobarbus hoevenii, Luciosoma spilopleura plus various representatives of Barbodes, Rasbora and Osteochilus.

An ideal resident of the larger, well-furnished community set-up though it might upset slow-moving or timid companions simply by its size.

There are plenty of suitable tankmates including many cyprinids, loaches, cichlids, catfish and characins, but as always when selecting a compatible community of fish proper research is essential. A community based around one of its native countries or river basins…

This species is also sold as the ‘redline’ rasbora which is something of a misnomer as in reality the colour of the lateral stripe that gives rise to the name can vary from deep orange to golden depending upon the collection locality of the fish as well as diet, condition, and even mood. Some specimens also have a second, darkish stripe beneath the other which seems to vary in length and intensity depending on a similar array of factors. Older fish tend to possess a greater degree of black edging to the scales, especially in the ventral portion of the body.

Endemic to southern Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of Borneo where it’s been recorded from several river systems including the Kapuas, Kepayang, Barito and Kahajan. Type locality is given as ‘Canal along the highway from Oelin to Bandjermasin, about 15 kilometers from Bandjermasin, Borneo.’

Often referred to as the ‘rhomb’ or ‘rhombo’ barb and included in a group of closely-related, similar-looking congeners which also includes…

This species is rarely-exported for the aquarium hobby but is available on occasion. The name ‘P.‘ kuchingensis is frequently misapplied, however, with subadult forms of ‘P.‘ everetti and some populations of the geographically-variable ‘P.‘ lateristriga regularly traded as such, for example.

Though closely-affiliated with and superficially very similar to…

This species is poorly known in general and is not present in the ornamental trade, although its name is widely misapplied to other Luciosoma species. Its congeners are mostly marketed as ‘apollo shark’, ‘shark minnow’, or similar, and often labelled with incorrect scientific names.

Identification of the fish pictured here is based on Bleeker (1855, 1860) and Roberts (1989), plus drawings by Bleeker, thus…