Barbs are freshwater fish belonging to a family of 1,768 species. They are popular aquarium fish because of their brilliant colors of gold, orange, rosy, silver, and cherry along with others. Also, they are available for an inexpensive price at pet shops. Though small in size, they’re aggressive predators of fish, crustaceans, and insects.

3 Barb Facts

• Breeding colors: The rosy barb is notable for changing colors during breeding season to attract mates. Male rosy barbs change from silver to a combination of gold and red. It’s rare for a female rosy barb’s yellow and pink scales to change, but the color does become more intense.

• Tough fish: Barb fish have an aggressive nature. They’re likely to eat smaller types of fish. This is why aquarium owners should only pair barbs with other barbs or larger types of fish.

• High adaptability: These fish have the rare quality of being able to adapt to changes in their habitat. This includes changes in water temperature and pH level.

Barb Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the barb fish is Barbus barbus. The Latin word Barbus translates to beard. The word beard refers to the barbels or bristle structures, on barb fish. Look very closely at the Zebra barb and the Denison barb and you’ll find tiny barbels located near their mouth. These are used to sense and locate prey.

They are in the Cyprinidae family and the class Actinopterygii.

Just a few of the 1,768 species of barb fish:

• Barbodes dunckeri

• Puntius titteya

• Sahyadria denosonii

Types of Barb Fish: The Different Species

The Cyprinidae family contains 1,768 species that vary in size and color. This is what makes them so popular with people looking to add dynamic fish to a freshwater aquarium without paying a high price.

Some of the most notable and colorful examples of the barb family include:

• Cherry barb: These fish live in the Kelani basin near Sri Lanka. Normally, they have brown or tan scales with red and orange tones. But, during breeding season, males turn a brilliant cherry red.

• Tiger barb: It’s named for both its color and behavior. It has silver scales featuring black stripes with orange highlights on its fins and mouth. Not only does it have a color pattern like a tiger, but this fish is also known to nip at the delicate fins of other fish!

• Gold barb: The gold barb is also called a Chinese barb because it’s from the Red River basin in China. This three-inch fish adds a flash of orange or gold scales to its aquarium habitat. Gold barbs are one of the common types sold in pet stores.

• Rosy barb: These fish are native to the northern part of India. Rosy barbs have glowing red scales and a forked tail. They’re a little bigger than most barbs at six inches.

Barb Appearance

The different types of barbs can be orange, red, black, gold, striped or even rosy. Some barbs are as small as two and a half inches like the black ruby barb while other types can measure 12 inches long. The longest is the Tinfoil barb at 13.7 inches. Alternatively, some of the most popular barbs like the gold barb and the Tiger barb are three inches in size.

These small fish have tiny barbels or bristles, near their mouth. Barbels are used in the wild to find prey in murky water.

Barbs have an aggressive nature. Along with eating algae, they are excellent hunters. They go after smaller fish, worms, and crustaceans.

It’s important for an aquarium owner to avoid putting smaller fish in the same tank as barbs. They are likely to eat the smaller fish!

Birds and larger fish are predators of barb fish. Not surprisingly, it’s difficult for a brightly colored barb to blend in with its environment to escape. So, these animals rely on their quick swimming abilities to get away from threats. Also, barbs live in schools allowing most of them to escape when they encounter a predator.

Barb Distribution, Population and Habitat

Barbs are freshwater fish. Different types of barbs are from different regions. For instance, the gold barb is native to rivers and streams around China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Rosy barbs live in lakes and streams around India. Tiger barbs are found in Borneo and Malaysia.

These fish can live in bodies of water three to 16 feet in depth.

The IUCN Red List reports the barb fish as Least Concern, but with an unknown population. There are no conservation efforts in place for these fish.

Barb Predators and Prey

Barbs are omnivorous. They are notable for eating a variety of both plants and animals in their habitat.

What eats barb fish?

In the wild, barbs are eaten by larger fish, reptiles, and birds such as seagulls. They are also captured by humans for breeding and sale to aquarium enthusiasts.

Despite these threats, they are listed as Least Concern.

What does a barb fish eat?

They eat algae, smaller fish, insects and crustaceans. They are aggressive hunters and may go after larger fish, but that’s rare. Usually, their prey is smaller.

Barb Reproduction and Lifespan

Barbs reach sexual maturity at six weeks old. In the spring when the water is warm, a female barb releases 200 to 300 eggs into the water at one time. A male barb releases sperm and fertilizes the eggs. The eggs hatch in two to three days.

Someone breeding barbs should know these fish are likely to eat the eggs. So, it’s a good idea to put the male and female into another aquarium right away.

Barb in Fishing and Cooking

Barbs are too small to eat. Their colorful patterns and inexpensive price have made them popular with fish enthusiasts of all experience levels.

They are hardy fish living up to five years.

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