All fish / Cyprinidae

Denison's barb

Sahyadria denisonii

Also known as red line torpedo barb, roseline shark, denison barb, red line barb, miss kerala, torpedo barb, puntius denisonii, barbus denisonii, denisoni barb, ปลาเดนิสัน, デニソニー, ロージーライン・シャーク

This is a slim, silvery barb with a black line along its side, a bright red stripe above it running from the snout, and yellow and black tail lobes. People keep it in large community tanks because a group of them looks striking and they are lively, active swimmers.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

18 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and some vegetable matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India: Western Ghats rivers of Kerala and Karnataka

Breeding

It scatters eggs and does not look after them. Captive breeding happens mostly on commercial farms that use hormones, and spawning in home aquariums is rare.

Good to know

It is listed as Endangered by the IUCN after being overcollected for the aquarium trade, so buy captive-bred fish. It is a fast, jumpy swimmer that needs a long tank with a tight lid and clean water rich in oxygen.