Blue spotted hill trout
Barilius bakeri
Also known as Malabar baril, Opsarius bakeri, Blue dot barilius
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 64–79°F (18–26°C)
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
- Adult size
- 5.1 in (13 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal (200 L)
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Top
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- Endemic to fast, hilly streams of the Western Ghats in southwestern India.
- Family
- Cyprinidae
Overview
Give blue spotted hill trout a long tank of at least 200 litres with strong flow, high oxygen, and a tight lid, since they are fast jumpers. Keep cool, clean water at 18 to 26 C with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 and do generous weekly water changes. Keep a group of at least five to spread out their energy, and feed insects, frozen bloodworm and mysis, and sinking pellets. They will eat small fish, so choose tankmates too large to swallow.
In the wild
The blue spotted hill trout lives in fast, clear, well oxygenated streams and rapids of the Western Ghats in southwestern India. It holds in the current in the upper water and darts after insects that hit the surface. Rows of blue-green spots and bars mark a streamlined, trout-like body built for fast water. It needs cool, clean, moving water to thrive.
Good to know
Barilius bakeri is sometimes listed under the genus Opsarius, and the whole group is built for life in swift hill streams. It reaches about 13 cm and is a fast, predatory surface hunter rather than a placid community fish. It comes from the mid and higher reaches of rivers across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
Did you know
They behave like miniature trout, hanging in the current and rising to snatch insects from the surface, which is where the hill trout name comes from.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Dan's Fish Freshwater fish, shrimp and snails with a live arrival guarantee
- The Wet Spot Tropical Fish Large freshwater selection from a longtime Portland fish store
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
Freshwater fish · Barbs, danios & rasboras · Schooling fish · Coldwater fish
Keeping Blue spotted hill trout?
Track water tests, reminders and stocking fit.
Related species
Greater scissortail
Rasbora caudimaculata5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Moustached danio
Danio dangila5.1 in (13 cm)32 gal (120 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Malabar danio
Devario malabaricus5.1 in (13 cm)48 gal (180 L)64–77°F (18–25°C)Bigspot barb
Barbodes dunckeri5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Red-tailed black shark
Epalzeorhynchos bicolor4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (115 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Orange-finned danio
Danio kyathit2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)