Genus
Leptobarbus
- Species
- 2
- Photographed
- 2 of 2
- Difficulty rated
- 2 of 2
Where the name comes fromEdit
from the Ancient Greek λεπτός (leptós), meaning 'thin/slender', and the generic name Barbus, within which the type species, L. hoevenii, was originally placed.
Leptobarbus hoeveniiMad Barb
(Bleeker, 1851)
The mad barb, Leptobarbus hoevenii, is a large pelagic cyprinid apparently native to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and Java. A popular sport fish growing to 800 to 1000 mm, it is wholly unsuitable for private aquaria but is readily available at 100 to 150 mm. The congener L. rubripinna was referred to as L. hoevenii for decades and both are traded under the same name. L. hoevenii lacks the broad dark midlateral stripe and has dark grey pelvic and anal fins.
Leptobarbus rubripinnaRed-finned Cigar Shark
(Fowler, 1937)
The red-finned cigar shark, Leptobarbus rubripinna, is a large pelagic cyprinid from the Mekong, Chao Phraya and Mae Klong river systems of Indochina. For decades it was referred to as its congener L. hoevenii, and both are still traded under the same name. A popular sport fish growing to 800 to 1000 mm, it is wholly unsuitable for private aquaria despite being readily available at 100 to 150 mm. It has a broad dark midlateral stripe and orange to red pelvic and anal fins.