All fish / Cyprinidae

Snakeskin Barb

Desmopuntius rhomboocellatus

Also known as snakeskin barb, rhombo barb, rhomboid barb, puntius rhomboocellatus, barbus rhomboocellatus, systomus rhomboocellatus, snake skin barb, ロンボオケラートゥス, スネークスキンバルブ, ikan kemuring, 蛇皮鲃, 菱斑鲃

A small, deep-bodied barb with a warm golden to reddish body marked by several dark, ring-like blotches that resemble snakeskin. It comes from soft, acidic blackwater peat swamps and shows its best colour in dim, tannin-stained tanks with plants and leaf litter, making it a favourite for biotope setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

4 to 6.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp, plus quality flakes and granules

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Borneo (Kalimantan, Sarawak), Indonesia and Malaysia

Breeding

An egg-scattering spawner that gives no parental care and will eat its own eggs. It has been bred in captivity using very soft, acidic water and fine-leaved plants or a mesh, with adults removed after spawning, but success is irregular.

Good to know

Needs soft, acidic, clean water and can be shy and fade in colour if kept in bright, hard-water tanks or in small numbers. Wild habitat is threatened by peat swamp clearance, so captive-bred stock is preferable.