Black lined barb (Puntius pleurotaenia)

Scientific name: Puntius pleurotaenia Bleeker, 1863

The Black lined barb (Puntius pleurotaenia) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–26°C (72–79°F). Native range: Asia, catchments of the Kelani and Nilwala Rivers, Sri Lanka. Reported from Madras, India, but this record has been contested by some authors (such as in ).

Black lined barb care at a glance

Temperature
22–26°C (72–79°F)

Biology

Tends to form small shoals. More abundant in the larger, clear water, undisturbed, deep (>1m), heavily shaded streams. Stays in the middle of the water column. Feeds on filamentous algae, terrestrial insects and detritus. No observations on breeding in captivity. Maturity at 6.4 cm. Does well at 29?C water temperature. Exploited by the tropical fish export trade, larger specimens are eaten.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Puntius pleurotaenia
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
16.0
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.5 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 15 benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: catchments of the Kelani and Nilwala Rivers, Sri Lanka. Reported from Madras, India, but this record has been contested by some authors (such as in ).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Lower Risk: conservation dependent (LR/cd)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated