Striuntius

The spanner barb or 'T-barb', Striuntius lateristriga, is a cyprinid from peninsular Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Java. Its colour pattern varies with locality, and the form most commonly seen in the trade corresponds most closely to fish from Johor. The species may prove to be a complex of closely-related taxa. Quite boisterous, it can intimidate more timid species with its size and activity, especially at feeding times. It is still often sold as Puntius lateristriga.

The lined barb, Striuntius lineatus, is a laterally-striped cyprinid from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, found mostly in peat swamps. It is most often confused with Desmopuntius johorensis, the two being the most common of the striped species in the trade, but it has no more than one pair of barbels, lacks vertical bars as a juvenile and grows smaller. Its habitats include black water streams stained brown with humic acids, with pH as low as 3.0 or 4.0.