Greenstripe barb
The Greenstripe Barb, Puntius vittatus, is a tropical freshwater and brackish fish belonging to the Cyprininae subfamily of the Cyprinidae family. It originates in inland waters in Asia, and is found in Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. Besides being called Silver Barb, sometimes it is referred to as Striped Barb, a name it shares with Puntius johorensis (formerly known as P. eugrammus).
The greenstripe barb is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs.
The greenstripe barb is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs.
Physical description
The fish will grow in length up to 2 inches (5 centimeters).
Habitat
It natively inhabits ponds, streams and lakes in plains. It is often found in rice fields and is known to enter brackish water. They live in a tropical climate in water with a 6.0 - 6.5 pH, a water hardness of 8 - 15 dGH, and a temperature range of 68 - 75 °F (20 - 24 °C). It feeds mainly on filamentous algae and blue-green algae.
Importance to humans
The greenstripe barb is of commercial importance in the aquarium trade and is also commonly used as bait.