The Rhombo Barb (Desmopuntius rhomboocellatus) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Snakeskin Barb, Red Ocellated Barb, or Rhomb Barb is native to West and Central Kalimantan in Borneo, Indonesia. Rhombo Barbs are a peaceful schooling species that thrive in the tannin stained backwaters of their range.   They are typically collected in still water […]

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The Karnataka Barb (Sahyadria denisonii) is a new variety of Denison barb that has been collected from a new area in the state of Karnataka, India.   Karnataka is south of Kerala, in southern India where the majority of Red Line Sharks, up until recently, have been collected. Although known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts […]

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The Panda Barb (Puntius fasciatus) is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Striped Barb, Ember Barb, Banded Barb and Black Spot Barb. The Panda Barb is native to the Western Ghats mountains in the south Indian states of Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Its range is from the Kanyakumari district at […]

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The Denison Barb (Sahyadria denisonii) is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Red Lined Torpedo Barb or the Rose Line Shark. The Denison Barb is a shoaling species that is found in the fast flowing rivers, tributaries, and streams in the state of Kerala and South Karnataka, in Southern India.  The demand […]

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The Odessa Barb (Pethia padamya) is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Scarlet Barb or Ticto Barb. At one time the Odessa Barb (Pethia padamya)  was believed to be one of the Puntius ticto color variations, however, it’s  natural coloring lacks the wide red stripe along its body, peculiar for this species […]

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The Rosy Barb (Puntius conchonius) is one of the larger Barbs that in their natural habitat grow up to 6 inches in length. The male is red and gold with black spots near the rear and at the dorsal fin.  Their colors become bolder during the mating period.  Female Rosy Barbs lack the red coloration […]

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The eye catching Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii) has large, distinct silvery metallic scales, red-tipped fins, a forked tail and grows up to 14″ in length. In nature, Tinfoil Barbs live in the larger, fast flowing rivers of Southeast Asia. Compared to other barbs, the Tinfoil Barb is a hardy, peaceful fish, and in natre is […]

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The Tiger Barb (Puntius tetrazona), also known as the Sumatra Barb, is a tropical species of cyprinid that is found in Sumatra, Borneo, Cambodia and throughout the Malay Peninsula. Tiger Barbs are found in the clear or turbid shallow waters of moderately flowing streams and in swamp lakes. They are an extremely active, playful shoaling […]

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The Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya) is a hardy, slender barb that is very popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. The Cherry Barb is much more slender than most other barbs. It has a silver/black body with a golden, horizontal stripe after the lateral line. The male fish turns a bright cherry red during spawning, hence […]

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The term ”Barb” is loosely used to describe a wide range of different fish species in the aquarium trade. The true barbs are the only species found in the genus Barbus, in the family Cyprinidae.    Most members of the Barbus genera have a pair of barbels on their mouths, which are used to search for […]

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