Blackline poropuntius barb

Poropuntius melanogrammus

Also known as Black-lined mahseer barb, Black line barb

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–77°F (18–25°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank: 66 gal (250 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upland rivers of northern Southeast Asia
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep this active hill-stream barb as a group of five or more in a large tank; a shoal keeps it calm and shows off its bold side stripe. It swims in the middle water and is peaceful, so pair it with other sturdy fish that enjoy cool, moving water, such as garras, hillstream loaches and barils. Feed a varied diet of pellets, flake and frozen foods, with some vegetable matter. It wants at least 250 liters with strong flow, plenty of oxygen and a long footprint to cruise.

In the wild

This barb lives in cool, clear, fast-flowing upland streams and rivers of mainland Southeast Asia. Recreate that with brisk current, high oxygen, a substrate of sand, gravel and water-worn stone, and cooler than average temperatures around 18 to 25 degrees Celsius at pH 6.5 to 7.8. Strong filtration and good surface movement matter more than decor here.

Good to know

Poropuntius melanogrammus is a stream barb of the family Cyprinidae reaching around 20 centimeters, silvery with a bold dark stripe running from the gill cover to the tail, the source of the name melanogrammus, meaning black line. Members of Poropuntius are sometimes called brook barbs, smaller relatives of the giant mahseers that share the same cool, oxygen-rich hill water. Nothing is documented of its breeding in tanks.

Did you know

Its name means black line, for the single dark band drawn from head to tail down a silvery body, about the plainest possible field mark on an otherwise unremarkable hill-stream fish.

Tank mates

Blackline poropuntius barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.