All fish / Cyprinidae

Pethia rutila

Pethia rutila

Also known as pethia rutila, red barb, rutila barb, puntius rutilus

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This is a small Pethia barb from India and Myanmar. Males take on reddish tones, and the fish carries the dark body markings that are typical of the genus. It is rarely seen in the trade, so keepers seek it out mainly as a lively, hardy barb for a planted community tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4 cm

Temperature

18 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworm, plus good flake and micro pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Indo-Burma region; described from the upper Chindwin and Irrawaddy basins of Myanmar and northeastern India

Breeding

Like other Pethia, it scatters its eggs among fine plants and gives no parental care. Adults will eat the eggs, so they should be removed after spawning. Breeding is thought to be fairly easy, but very little captive breeding has been recorded.

Good to know

It is rare in the hobby, and fish sold under this name can be mislabelled relatives such as Pethia conchonius or Pethia ticto. Care figures here are based on related upland Pethia species because there is little specific data for this fish.