Greenstripe barb

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Greenstripe barb
Conservation status
Secure
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae Genus: Puntius Species: P. vittatus
Binomial name
Puntius vittatus (Day, 1865)
Synonyms
Barbus vittatus (Day, 1865)

The greenstripe barb, Puntius vittatus, silver barb or striped barb is a tropical freshwater and brackish fish belonging to the Cyprininae sub-family of the Cyprinidae family. It originates in inland waters in Asia, and is found in Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.

The greenstripe barb is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs.

Contents 1 Physical description 2 Habitat 3 Importance to humans 4 Name origins 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Physical description

The fish will grow in length up to 2 inches (5 centimeters).

[edit] Habitat

It natively inhabits ponds, streams and lakes in plains. It is often found in rice fields and is known to enter brackish water. They live in a tropical climate in water with a 6.0 - 6.5 pH, a water hardness of 8 - 15 dGH, and a temperature range of 68 - 75 °F (20 - 24 °C). It feeds mainly on filamentous algae and blue-green algae.

[edit] Importance to humans

The greenstripe barb is of commercial importance in the aquarium trade and is also commonly used as bait.

[edit] Name origins

It was originally described as Puntius vittatus by F. Day in 1865, and has also been referred to in scientific literature as Barbus vittatus. The word "vittatus" means "striped lengthwise", and is pronounced "vy-TAH-tus".

[edit] See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

[edit] References

• "Puntius vittatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. February 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.