Lemon-fin barb

Hypsibarbus wetmorei

Also known as Golden belly barb, Wetmore's barb

FreshwaterFish

Lemon-fin barb (Hypsibarbus wetmorei) — (c) Haplochromis, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Minimum tank: 106 gal (400 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The lemon-fin barb is a large, peaceful, schooling fish, so plan on a group of at least six with a lot of open water to swim; like the related tinfoil barbs it is a fast, restless cruiser. It is even-tempered and community-safe with other sizeable fish, but it will outgrow and outpace small tankmates. Its diet leans heavily vegetable, so offer plenty of plant matter, algae wafers, and greens alongside pellets and frozen foods, and expect it to sample soft plants. A big tank of around 400 liters or more, with length rather than height, suits an adult school.

In the wild

Hypsibarbus wetmorei schools in the large rivers of mainland Southeast Asia, in the Mae Klong, Mekong, and Chao Phraya basins. It wants open, flowing water, so give a big tank strong current, a sand or fine gravel bed, and sturdy decor rather than delicate planting. Keep it at 22 to 28 degrees Celsius, with a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. It adapts easily to a range of conditions, which is part of why it is straightforward to keep.

Good to know

Hypsibarbus wetmorei is a deep-bodied barb in the carp family, Cyprinidae; the genus name means high or deep barb. It reaches about 25 centimeters in aquaria and larger in the wild, silvery gold with the yellow-washed fins that give it its name. It is a valued food fish across its range and is raised in aquaculture, which is where many aquarium specimens originate. Its breeding is not documented in home tanks, though it is spawned commercially.

Did you know

The same species turns up in two very different settings: a farmed food fish on Southeast Asian dinner tables and a bright, deep-bodied show fish in the aquarium trade.