Results for “barb”

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...

This species is so ubiquitous across its natural range that it's often referred to simply as 'common barb'. Basic adult colour pattern consists of a small, dark spot at the base of the dorsal-fin origin and another on the caudal peduncle but overall appearance varies somewhat depending on origin, with the anterior dark spot enlarged ventrally forming a bar or posterior spot extending into the caudal-fin, for example. The spots may also appear darker or lighter in some individuals.

This species is also known by the alternative names 'green' or 'Chinese' barb. The natural 'green' form is an infrequent find in the aquarium trade whereas the selectively-bred 'golden' variant is farmed in huge numbers and is among the most popular of freshwater aquarium fish. The latter was first produced in the 1960s and is now so ubiquitous that many hobbyists are initially unaware that it is not the natural form.

This is one of two species sold with the common/trade name of "tinfoil barb", the other being the more widely-recognised B. schwanenfeldii. Despite this it appears that B. altus is just as widely available as B. schwanenfeldii and in many cases is seen on sale more regularly. Unfortunately both are usually offered at a small size (usually around 2 - 3"/5 - 7.5cm) with little to no information regarding the eventual size of the fish. Although B. altus is the ...

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.

Although sometimes referred to by the vernacular name 'big spot barb' this species is better known in the aquarium hobby as 'clown barb'. It has been widely misidentified as the congener B. everetti, a distinct and uncommonly-traded species from Borneo and thus appears under that name in the majority of available literature. The two are quite easy to tell apart, with B. everetti an overall les...

This species is commonly-referred to as 'T-barb' in some countries. It's closely-affiliated with and sometimes traded as the congener B. kuchingensis but that species can be told apart by colour pattern comprising a prominent row of dark spots along the lateral line, plus a short, horizontally-orientated streak extending from the upper part of the operculum. In B. lateristriga the lateral markings usually form a solid stripe and there is no streak extending from the operculum.

A stylish-looking but rare barb in the hobby and unfortunately little information is available regarding its captive care. Forum member Andy Rushworth has kept a lone individal and told us it was a perfect aquarium inhabitant in terms of behaviour and maintenance. He also mentioned that the fish he had looked exactly like the specimen in our images but that he has seen at least one batch of what appeared to be a different species imported under the same na...

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 native to Central West Africa where it is principally found in the great Ogooué and Congo River systems. It therefore has an extensive range and has been recorded at numerous localities right across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the Ituri River in the far east of the country to the Luki River basin in the extreme west. The Congo River appears to represent the southernmost limit of its range as a...

Two closely-related species are also found in the Congo basin and infrequently seen in the trade. 'B.' candens has been collected northeast of the range of 'B.' hulstaerti around the city of Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville) and nearby town of Yangambi. It can be distinguished from 'B.' hulstaerti by its paler body colouration, smaller dark markings on the body and red ventral and anal fins in males. 'B.' papillo is known only from its type locality close to the eastern town of Kindu between the Lualaba and Lomami rivers. It has an elongated central body marking and males possess black dorsal, ventral and anal fins.

The genus Barbonymus was erected by Kottelat in 1999 and contains former members of Barbodes from southeast Asia. The type species is B. schwanenfeldii and currently there exist only three other representatives; B. altus, B. collingwoodii and B. gonionotus. The latter two are rare in the hobby although an SF member has kept B. gonionotus in the past so they are worth looking out for if you harbour an...

This species is uncommon in the aquarium hobby, although the scientific name is widely misapplied to Barbodes dunckeri, a similar-looking species native to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore commonly referred to as 'clown barb' and labelled as B. everetti in the majority of available literature. The two are quite easy to tell apart, with B. everetti an overall less...

P. chola was retained in Puntius sensu stricto, of which members are defined by the following combination of characters: adult size usually less than 120 mm SL; maxillary barbels absent or present; rostral barbels absent; 3-4 unbranched and 8 branched dorsal-fin rays; 3 unbranched and 5 branched anal-fin rays; last unbranched dorsal-fin ray weak or strong and unserrated; lateral line complete with 22-28 pored body scales...

B. aurotaeniatus is uncommon in the aquarium trade. Following Kottelat (1998) it has a single pair of maxillary barbels, a complete lateral line and colour pattern usually comprising four small, vertically-orientated black markings on the flanks (located above anterior lateral line origin, below dorsal-fin origin, below posterior end of dorsal-fin base and on caudal peduncle, respectively) and one on the dorsal surface, below dorsal-fin origin.

The genus Acrossocheilus is restricted to southern China, northern Vietnam and northern Laos. It can be distinguished from related genera by the following combination of characters: rostral fold present; lips fleshy and continuous around corners of mouth; lower lip with a median interruption; mouth inferior; horny sheath on lower jaw; two pairs of barbels; last simple ray of dorsal fin osseous with a serrated or smooth posterior margin.

In P. phutonio the flank markings comprise two black, vertically-orientated blotches, one posterior to the operculum and the other on the caudal peduncle, and within the P. conchonius group this patterning is shared with P. bandula, P. cumingii, P. didi, P. meingangbii, P. padamya, and P. tiantian. It can be told apart from these by the following combination of characters: smaller adult size of 25 - 30 mm vs. at least 35 - 40 mm; minute maxillary barbels; incomplete lateral line with ab...

One of four similar-looking, laterally-striped 'Puntius' spp. native to Southeastern Asia alongside 'P.' gemellus, 'P.' johorensis, and 'P.' trifasciatus. Of these 'P.' lineatus is most often confused with 'P.' johorensis by virtue of the fact that these two seem most common in the aquarium trade. Telling them apart is relatively simple since 'P.' lineatus has 0 - 1 pairs of barbels (vs. 2 pairs in the other three species), juv...

It can be told apart from similar-looking congeners such as P. crescentus and P. muzaffarpurensis by the following combination of characters: barbels absent; lateral line incomplete with up to 5 pored scales; 20-22 lateral line scales; 8 predorsal scales; dorsal-fin with a vertically-orientated black streak and a black tip with orange markings; a dark spot at the base of the caudal peduncle.

Clypeobarbus was originally put forward as a subgenus of Barbus by Fowler in 1936 on the basis that member species possessed a midlateral row of enlarged, shield-like scales but he only included the type species 'Barbus' kemoensis (now a junior synonym of Clypeobarbus pleuropholis) in the group. Subsequent work by Poll and Lambert (1961), Jubb (1965) and Skelton (1993) resulted in several additional species being placed into the grouping although it appears that little of this work was widely-recognised until the recent study was published.