| Spanner barb | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Puntius |
| Species: | P. lateristriga |
| Binomial name | |
| Puntius lateristriga (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1842) |
|
The Spanner barb (Puntius lateristriga), or t-barb is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Cyprininae sub-family of the Cyprinidae family. It originates in inland waters in Asia, and is found from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. It was originally described as Barbus lateristriga by Achille Valenciennes in 1842, and has also been referred to in scientific literature as Barbodes lateristriga, or Systomus lateristriga.
Contents |
The fish will grow in length up to 7 inches (18 centimeters).
It usually inhabits clear mountain streams strewn with rocks and boulders, and is frequently found below waterfalls. They live in a tropical climate in water with a 6.0 - 6.5 pH, a water hardness of 10 dGH, and a temperature range of 77 - 83 °F (25 - 28 °C).
It feeds on worms, benthic crustaceans, insects, and plant matter.
The Spanner barb is of commercial importance in the aquarium trade industry.
In an aquarium the Spanner barb will adapt to water up to a pH of 7.2, and can live in slightly harder water than in their natural habitat. They are a mostly peaceful fish if kept in a school of at least 5 fish, but their large size makes them unsuited to a community of small fish.
The IUCN Red list has not evaluated the risk of the Spanner barb becoming extinct.
The Spanner barb is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs.