Puntius fasciatus - Melon Barb

Cyprinidae

Endemic to the Western Ghats mountains in the south Indian states of Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu where it ranges from Kanyakumari district at the southern tip of the country almost as far as Maharashtra state to the north. It's more common on the western slopes of the range and has been recorded in numerous river drainages from mouth to near source though it's more common at sea level and in the foothills. There are a number of geographically-isolated variants which differ in both colour and patterning depending on locality and habitat-type with fish from highland environments (headwaters, hill streams, etc.) typically displaying an orangey base colour whereas at lower altitudes it's normally purple or reddish. A few of these have been described to science resulting in inevitable confusion (see 'notes').

The number and positioning of dark bars on the body is also variable; populations from Goa have five, Karnataka/northern Kerala four, central/southern Kerala three. Some from southern Kerala only have two and the much sought after fish from Kanyakumari uniquely display none at all. Since genetic differences are also likely to exist it's important not to mix the forms in aquaria to avoid hybridisation. Unfortunately this may already have occurred in the trade so it's wise to ask about the origins of your fish prior to purchase.

One of the most widely-distributed barbs in the Western Ghats and inhabits a variety of biotopes from hill streams to major rivers as well as irrigation canals, ponds, lakes and ditches. It shows a preference for shallow, quiet zones with submerged cover in the form of aquatic vegetation or leaf litter. Though gregarious it usually forms large schools with members of other species as well as conspecifics; the Ghats are particularly diverse with over 290 fish species found there. Considering Puntius alone it can be found alongside P. setnai, P. ticto , P. sahyadriensis and others towards the northern extent of its range, P. narayani , P. filamentosus , P. assimilis , P. arulius , P. ticto  and P. punctatus in the middle and P. assimilis , P. filamentosus , P. ticto , P. punctatus, P. exclamatio and P. tambraparniei  at the southern end. Rasbora daniconius occurs sympatrically in most places, too. All rivers in the Ghats are rain-fed and seasonal so many habitats undergo changes in depth, temperature, water chemistry and flow rate depending on the time of year; non-dammed rivers can almost dry up completely during summer but flow like torrents after the monsoons.

Some sources state that it can reach 150mm/15cm but typical adult size is around 65-75mm.

Very active and deserves a tank measuring at least 36" x 12" x 12"/90cm x 30cm x 30cm/85 litres.

Fairly undemanding provided its tank is well-maintained but can appear a little washed out in very sparsely decorated tanks. A combination of subdued lighting and a dark substrate will encourage it to show its best colours, and it can look superb in a heavily planted set-up decorated with pieces of bogwood, twisted roots and patches of floating vegetation.

The ideal set-up would be dedicated to the replication of a slowly flowing stream. Use a sand, gravel or mixed substrate and perhaps some smooth, water-worn rocks of varying sizes. Filtration can be quite gentle but try to provide some water movement, adding some roots, branches, twigs and a few aquatic plants (native species include Lagenandra ovata and Blyxa auberti) for cover. Three or four handfuls of leaf litter should complete the natural effect and may help to bring out the best colours of the fish.

72 - 79°F/22 - 26°C

6.0 - 7.0.

2 - 10°H

Like many barbs it's a generalised omnivore by nature, feeding on small invertebrates as well as plant matter and other detritus. It proves similarly unfussy in captivity, accepting most foods offered. A quality dried product can be used as the staple diet, although this should be supplemented with regular meals of live and frozen bloodworm, Artemia, Daphnia etc.

Provided its requirements are met it can be mixed with most peaceful fishes growing too large to be considered food, and since it places no special demands in terms of water chemistry many other small cyprinids as well as some tetras, rainbowfishes, anabantoids, catfish and loaches make suitable tankmates. A community based around species from the Western Ghats could include all species mentioned in the 'habitat' section plus others such as Laubuca dadiburjori, Rasbora caverii, R. rasbora , Lepidocephalichthys guntea, L. thermalis, Pangio goaensis, Botia striata , Aplocheilus blockii, A.lineatus, A. panchax, Etroplus maculatus , E. suratensis  and Pseudosphromenus cupanus. As always research your planned combination thoroughly before purchase.

Try to buy a mixed-sex batch of at least 8-10 specimens, include a couple of other groups of schooling fishes to provide security and you'll be rewarded with a more natural-looking spectacle. The interaction between rival males is great to watch as they display their best colours when competing for female attention or hierarchical dominance.

Females tend to be larger and fuller bodied, especially when in breeding condition. Males are by far the more colourful sex, and usually have red and/or black colouration in the dorsal fin.

Males of some forms exhibit spectacular scarlet colouration when in spawning condition giving rise to one of its alternative common names of 'ember barb' (others include 'banded' or 'black spot' barb. It's quite easily bred, although you'll need to set up a separate tank in which to do so if you want to raise any numbers of fry. Something around 18" x 12" x 12"/45cm x 30cm x30cm in size is usually recommended. This should be very dimly lit and contain clumps of fine-leaved plants such as Java moss or spawning mops to give the fish somewhere to deposit their eggs. Alternatively, you could cover the base of the tank with some kind of mesh. This should be of a large enough grade so that the eggs can fall through it, but small enough so that the adults cannot reach them. The water should be around neutral pH, gH <8, with a slightly raised temperature of 75 - 80°F. A small air-powered sponge filter bubbling away very gently is all that is needed in terms of filtration.

It can be spawned in a group, with half a dozen specimens of each sex being a good number. Condition these with plenty of small live foods and spawning should not present too many problems. Depending on your set-up, simply check the spawning medium or tank base each morning for eggs. Do be aware that the chances of getting a large batch of eggs is vastly reduced using this method as barbs are avid egg-eaters.

Alternatively try spawning it in pairs. Under this technique, the fish are conditioned in male and female groups in separate tanks. When the females are noticeably full of eggs and the males are displaying their best colours, select the fattest-looking female and best coloured male and transfer them to the spawning tank in the evening. They should spawn the following morning. Be sure to provide plenty of cover for the female as the male may be quite aggressive in his pursuit of her. In some cases she may even require a period of rehabilitation in a tank that does not contain any males.

In either situation, the adults will eat the eggs given the chance and should be removed as soon as they are noticed. They will hatch in 24 - 48 hours, with the fry becoming free swimming 24 hours or so later. These should be fed on an infusoria-type food for the first few days, until they are large enough to accept microworm or Artemia nauplii.

As yet it's undecided whether the different colour forms should be thought of as geographical variation or a complex of closely-related species as no exhaustive phylogenetic studies have been conducted. Three others have been described to science although two, Puntius fasciatus pradhani (a coastal form from Maharashtra and Goa with 5 bars and purple body) and P. f. afasciatus (the plain-bodied Kanyakumari form) are currently considered synonyms of Puntius fasciatus and P. melanampyx. The latter species, a three striped form found in central and southern Kerala, is still recognised as valid by some authors but as a junior synonym of Puntius fasciatus by Jayaram amongst others. P. fasciatus itself was described by Jerdon (1849) as Cirrhinus fasciatus from Malabar (nowadays northern Kerala), and although no type series was collected he did mention it had four bars. It seems the whole 'group' is in the process of speciation so while additional populations may be raised to full species level in the future we find it easier to refer to them all, including P. melanampyx, as Puntius fasciatus for the time being.

The genus Puntius is currently viewed as something of a catch-all for well over 100 species of small cyprinid. Most experts agree that a full revision is required, with the likely outcome that many species will be placed into new or different genera. When describing the genus in 1822 Hamilton identified the defining characteristics as being somewhat variable: "absence or presence of maxillary only or rostral and maxillary barbels; dorsal fin with last simple ray serrate or entire, branched rays usually 8; anal fin with last simple ray entire, branched rays usually 5; lateral line complete or incomplete, lateral-line scales 17-36 in row; cephalic cutaneous papillae minute or absent; pharyngeal teeth in 3 rows, usually 2,3,5/5,3,2; colour pattern extremely variable. All the species currently in the genus are native to Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka.

The other main source of confusion with Puntius is that some authors do not recognise all the member species as such, rather following Walter Rainboth (1996) and preferring to place some into the alternative genus Systomus. Rainboth proposed that Systomus should be reinstated (it was first erected in the 19th century) as a valid genus on account of the fact that in its current state Puntius would seem to constitute a polyphyletic grouping i.e. not all of its members appear to have descended from the same common ancestor. The defining characteristics of a Systomus species are (according to Rainboth) a serrated (vs. smooth in Puntius) dorsal spine, the presence of 2 or 4 barbels (vs. always 2) and less than 12 gill rakers (vs. 12-20). SF tentatively lists all species as Puntius at present.

Literature cited

1. www.petfrd.com
2. www.fishbase.org
3. Silias, E. G. (1956) - Copeia 1956(3): 194
   The Systematic Position of the Indian Cyprinid Fish, Cirrhinus fasciatus (Jerdon, 1849), with a New Name for Barbus fasciatus Bleeker (1853).