All fish / Cyprinidae

Deccan barb

Puntius deccanensis

Also known as deccan barb, deccan puntius

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This is a small, silvery barb with dark markings. It comes from hill streams in the northern Western Ghats of India. Very few people keep it, and those who do are mostly specialists in native Indian fish who value it for its rarity and the way it shoals actively.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia, plus quality flakes, granules and some plant matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India: northern Western Ghats (Maharashtra)

Breeding

Like other Puntius barbs, it is thought to scatter its eggs over plants or gravel and give no parental care. There are almost no records of it being bred in captivity.

Good to know

This species is listed as critically endangered and is found only in a small area. Wild collection is unlikely to be legal or ethical, and fish sold under this name are often a different, more common barb.