| Melon barb | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Puntius |
| Species: | P. fasciatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Puntius fasciatus (Jerdon, 1849) |
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| Synonyms | |
|
Cirrhinus fasciatus Jerdon, 1849 |
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The melon barb (Puntius fasciatus) is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the spotted barb (Puntius) genus of the Cyprininae sub-family of the Cyprinidae family. It originates in inland waters in Asia, and is found in peninsular India.
Contents |
The fish will grow in length up to 6 inches (15 centimeters).
It natively inhabits flowing rivers. They live in a tropical climate in water with a 6.0 - 6.5 pH, a water hardness of 5 dGH, and a temperature range of 72 - 79 °F (22 - 26 °C).
The melon barb is of commercial importance in the aquarium trade.
The melon barb is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs.
The melon barb was originally described as Cirrhinus fasciatus by Thomas C. Jerdon in 1849, and has also been referred to in scientific literature as Barbus fasciatus.