Maharaja barb

Puntius sahyadriensis

Also known as Khavli barb

FreshwaterFish

Maharaja barb (Puntius sahyadriensis) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F (20–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3.5 in (9 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The maharaja barb is a hardy, peaceful schooling barb, so keep a group of at least six in the middle water. It is personable and quick to learn feeding time, and it settles well into a cooler community with other subtropical hill-stream fish. It is undemanding about food, taking flake, small pellets, and frozen foods with equal appetite. A tank of around 110 liters with some current and open swimming space suits a group, and a well-planted layout shows off the gold body and dark bars nicely.

In the wild

This barb lives in the hill streams of the northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra, the range locally called the Sahyadri. Recreate its home with a sand and gravel bed, smooth stones and driftwood, moderate current, and some planting. It prefers cooler water than tropical lowland fish, 20 to 26 degrees Celsius, with a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. It is adaptable and forgiving of a range of conditions, which makes it easy to settle in.

Good to know

Puntius sahyadriensis is a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae, reaching around 9 centimeters, gold with a row of bold, irregular dark bars along the flank. Its species name comes from the Sahyadri hills it is native to. It is an egg-scattering spawner of moderate difficulty: conditioned pairs or groups scatter eggs among fine-leaved plants, and the adults will eat the eggs if given the chance.

Did you know

Hobbyists call it the maharaja barb for its confident, almost regal bearing, though the scientific name is the humbler truth: sahyadriensis simply means it comes from the Sahyadri hills.