TankBud

Apsara barb

Dawkinsia apsara

Also known as Apsara filament barb

FreshwaterFish

Apsara barb (Dawkinsia apsara)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Sita and Sowparnika rivers, Karnataka, India

Overview

The Apsara barb is an active, peaceful filament barb for a long community tank with some current. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The Apsara barb is named for the apsaras, the dancing nymphs of Hindu and Buddhist myth. The name nods to the way courting males trail their long dorsal filaments like streamers as they display to females and rivals.

Caring for the Apsara barb

Give a group of Apsara barbs a long tank of at least 42 gal (160 L). Favor length over height to suit their constant swimming. Add a bed of sand and rounded gravel with some scattered rock, and leave them room to swim.

Keep the temperature in the cooler tropical band, at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They appreciate a steady current from the filter or a powerhead. Feed a varied diet of quality flake and small pellets, with regular frozen or live foods such as bloodworms and daphnia.

Keep them in a group of six or more, since a proper school settles them and brings out the males' finnage. Mature males grow trailing rays from the dorsal fin. They are peaceful, so combine them with other robust but calm river fish that can keep up at feeding time.

Breeding in aquariums is not on record. Like its relatives, the Apsara barb is presumed to scatter eggs and give no parental care.

Good to know

Dawkinsia apsara is a filament barb of the family Cyprinidae. It was described only in 2020.

In the wild

The Apsara barb lives in the Sita and Sowparnika rivers of coastal Karnataka, in the Western Ghats of India. These are flowing stretches with clear, well-oxygenated water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Apsara barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Apsara barb need?

An Apsara barb needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Apsara barb need?

An Apsara barb is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Apsara barb eat?

An Apsara barb takes quality flake and small pellets, plus regular frozen or live foods such as bloodworms and daphnia.

How big does an Apsara barb get?

An adult Apsara barb reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Does an Apsara barb need a group?

Yes. An Apsara barb is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Apsara barb from a female?

Males grow trailing rays from the dorsal fin once they mature. A proper school brings out this finnage.

How does an Apsara barb breed?

Apsara barbs have no breeding record in aquariums. Like their relatives, they are presumed to scatter their eggs and give no parental care.

Related species