Page 86 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

84 FRESHWATER FISH DIRECTORY

Striuntius lineatus
CANNIBALIZING THE YOUNG
Striped Barb is subdued. Otherwise, they will look paler and
much less attractive. Sexing is possible since females Many barbs are opportunistic feeders,
ORIGINS Southeast Asia, being present on the Malay have a broader body and a more steeply curved eating whatever they can swallow easily. They
Peninsula and extending to parts of Indonesia. back than males. Striped Barbs are rather nervous have relatively large mouths, as displayed by
SIZE 4 ⁄4 in (12 cm). by nature, so their aquarium needs to incorporate this Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona). A barb’s
3
DIET Flake and small live foods, some plant matter. plenty of retreats in the form of bogwood and appetite will even extend to its own eggs and
WATER Temperature 70–75°F (21–24°C); soft (50 mg/l) aquatic vegetation. These fish should be housed fry. Barbs display no parental instincts at all,
and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5). in groups, and they will mix well with other although once the young are large enough
TEMPERAMENT Peaceful and social. nonaggressive species that require similar not to be regarded as food by the adults, they
conditions, such as danios. Feeding is fairly are accepted as part of the shoal. Although
The beautiful yellow-and-black horizontal striping straightforward, since Striped Barbs will eat a wide barbs typically produce hundreds of eggs at
on the sides of these barbs will only be apparent if variety of foods. For spawning purposes, raise the a single spawning, only a tiny number of the
they are housed in an aquarium where the lighting proportion of live foods in their diet. resulting fry survive to adulthood in the wild.

Barbodes everetti Puntius titteya Barbodes semifasciolatus
Clown Barb Cherry Barb Gold Barb

ORIGINS Southeast Asia, occurring in Singapore, ORIGINS Asia, being restricted to the streams and rivers ORIGINS Eastern Asia, occurring in southeastern China,
Borneo, and the Bunguran Islands. of southwestern Sri Lanka. from Hong Kong to Hainan Island.
SIZE 4 in (10 cm). SIZE 2 in (5 cm). SIZE 4 in (10 cm).
DIET Flake and small live foods, some plant matter. DIET Flake and small live foods, some plant matter. DIET Flake and small live foods, some plant matter.
WATER Temperature 75–86°F (24–30°C); soft (50 mg/l) WATER Temperature 72–75°F (22–24°C); soft (50 mg/l) WATER Temperature 64–75°F (18–24°C); soft (50 mg/l)
and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5). and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5). and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5).
TEMPERAMENT Relatively peaceful. TEMPERAMENT Placid and somewhat timid. TEMPERAMENT Peaceful.
Large, irregular, dark blotches on a yellowish Dark coloration The rich orange-yellow coloration of male
background typify the Clown Barb. The male fish with evident Gold Barbs has been emphasized by selective
becomes brighter as it starts to mature at about reddish suffusion breeding. There is also a relatively inconspicuous
18 months. Clown Barbs may damage aquarium darker line running along the side of the body.
plants, especially if their diet is deficient in Originating from farther north than many barbs,
vegetable matter. These are difficult barbs to the Gold Barb does not require such a high water
spawn, although raising the water temperature, temperature, but raising it slightly can help to
separating the sexes for several weeks, and giving trigger spawning. As with related species,
them more live food will all help. a separate spawning tank will be required, because
otherwise the eggs are likely to be eaten by the
Blotched patterning
is not symmetrical The cherry-red coloration associated with these adults soon after they
barbs is most evident in fully mature males that are have been laid. Faint dark line
in spawning condition. Females, in contrast, are along body
significantly duller, with the reddish coloration
being largely restricted to the area around the
gills. Being relatively shy fish, they display less
of a shoaling instinct than many related barbs.
Cherry Barbs need a densely planted spawning
tank, since their eggs stick to aquatic plants.

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