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
Origin: Sita and Sowparnika rivers, Karnataka, India
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep this active filament barb as a group of six or more in a long tank; a proper school settles them and brings out the males' finnage. They swim mostly in open midwater and appreciate steady flow from the filter. Temperament is peaceful, so combine them with other robust but calm river fish that can keep up at feeding time. Feed a varied diet of quality flake and small pellets with regular frozen or live foods such as bloodworm and daphnia. Allow at least 160 liters, and favor length over height to suit their constant swimming.

In the wild

The apsara barb lives in the Sita and Sowparnika rivers of coastal Karnataka in the Western Ghats of India, flowing stretches with clear, well-oxygenated water. Give it room to swim with a current from the filter or a powerhead, a bed of sand and rounded gravel, and some scattered rock. Keep it in the cooler tropical band, around 21 to 26 degrees Celsius, at pH 6.0 to 7.5.

Good to know

Dawkinsia apsara is a filament barb of the family Cyprinidae, described only in 2020 from the Western Ghats. It reaches about 9 centimeters, and mature males extend long trailing rays from the dorsal fin, the feature behind the name: apsaras are the celestial dancers of Indian mythology. Its breeding in aquaria is not on record, though like its relatives it is presumed to scatter eggs and give no parental care.

Did you know

It was named in 2020 for the dancing nymphs of Hindu and Buddhist myth, a nod to the way courting males trail their long dorsal filaments like streamers when they display to females and rivals.