All fish / Cyprinidae

Khoh barb

Puntius khohi

Also known as khohi barb, garhwal barb

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This small silvery barb was described in 2004 and has so far been recorded only from one Himalayan foothill stream in Uttarakhand. It looks like a typical Puntius, with a slim body and dark markings near the tail, and the few people who keep it are mostly specialists in native Indian fishes. Its care figures are not well recorded, so the ones given here are based on similar cool-water hill-stream barbs.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

16 to 24 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India: Sil Gad stream, Khoh River system, Garhwal Himalaya (Uttarakhand)

Breeding

It is thought to scatter its eggs over plants or gravel without guarding them, as related barbs do. There are no confirmed reports of it being bred in captivity.

Good to know

This species is almost never sold, has a very small known range and is threatened by habitat loss, so wild collection should not be encouraged. It is easily mistaken for Puntius sophore and other common Indian barbs.