TankBud

Malabar baril

Opsarius malabaricus

Also known as Barilius malabaricus, Malabar hill trout

FreshwaterFish

Malabar baril (Opsarius malabaricus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Danionidae
Origin
Kerala rivers, southern Western Ghats, India

Overview

The Malabar baril is an active, trout-like fish for a long tank with real flow. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Malabar, the old name for this stretch of the Indian coast, is attached to a whole run of fishes. This baril shares the label with the Malabar giant danio, which it often swims beside in the wild.

Caring for the Malabar baril

A group of Malabar barils needs a long, river-style tank of 42 gal (160 L) or larger. Give them brisk current, a substrate of sand, gravel and stone, and open length rather than heavy decor. They jump hard, so a tight lid is essential.

They prefer cooler water, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Feed meaty floating and sinking foods, plus frozen bloodworm, daphnia and small insect larvae. They strike fast at food.

They are mostly peaceful, and a school of five or more spreads any sparring across the group. They patrol the middle of the tank and the surface. Give them robust companions and skip small or delicate fish. Their breeding is not documented in aquaria.

Good to know

Opsarius malabaricus is a member of the danio family, Danionidae, silver with blue bars along the flank. Jerdon described it in 1849 and named it for Malabar, its home coast in southern India. Modern taxonomy moved it, with other peninsular Indian barils, out of Barilius and into Opsarius.

In the wild

The Malabar baril comes from short, fast rivers of the Malabar coast in Kerala, in the southern Western Ghats of India. The water there is clear, flowing and well oxygenated.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Malabar baril is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Malabar baril need?

A Malabar baril needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Malabar baril need?

A Malabar baril is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Malabar baril eat?

A Malabar baril eats meaty floating and sinking foods, plus frozen bloodworm, daphnia and small insect larvae. It strikes fast at food.

How big does a Malabar baril get?

An adult Malabar baril reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

Does a Malabar baril need a group?

Yes. A Malabar baril is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Related species