All fish / Cyprinidae

Pool barb

Puntius sophore

Also known as pool barb, spotfin swamp barb, stigma barb, sophore barb, two-spot barb, spot-fin barb, puti, プンティウス・ソフォレ, 斑尾小鲃

A hardy silvery barb with a dark spot at the base of the tail and another on the dorsal fin, and breeding males take on an orange to reddish flush. It is one of the most common small fish in South Asian ponds and rivers, and keepers value it as a tough, active shoaling fish for unheated or subtropical tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and pellets, frozen bloodworm and daphnia, plus some plant matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

South Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar (Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra basins)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that spawns among fine plants, often triggered by cooler water changes, with no parental care. It breeds readily in captivity if the adults are removed afterwards so they do not eat the eggs.

Good to know

Lively and can nip long-finned tankmates if kept in small groups. Several similar spotted Puntius species from the region are often confused with it in the trade.