Onespot barb

Puntius terio

Also known as Teri barb, Terry barb

FreshwaterFish

Onespot barb (Puntius terio) — 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: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Ganges and Brahmaputra lowlands, South Asia
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The onespot barb is an easygoing, peaceful schooling fish, so keep a group of at least six in the middle water. It is hardy and community-safe, settling in with other calm fish of the Indian lowlands and beyond. It is an undemanding omnivore that takes flake, pellets, and frozen foods without fuss. A planted tank of around 75 liters with open swimming space suits a group, and a darker substrate brings out the gold body and its single tail-base spot.

In the wild

This barb lives in the slow, still and gently flowing waters of the Ganges and Brahmaputra lowlands across northern India, Bangladesh, and neighboring countries, in ponds, ditches, and river margins. Recreate that with a planted tank, a soft substrate, and gentle current. Keep it at 20 to 26 degrees Celsius, with a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. It tolerates a wide range of conditions, which makes it undemanding to house.

Good to know

Puntius terio is one of the many barbs Francis Hamilton described in his 1822 survey of the Ganges fishes. A member of the carp family, Cyprinidae, it reaches about 8 to 10 centimeters, gold with a single dark spot near the base of the tail. Its aquarium breeding is not documented, though barbs of this type are egg scatterers that spread their eggs among plants and gravel.

Did you know

The common name points to its one clear field mark: a single dark spot near the tail base, where many of its barb relatives carry a busier scatter of bars and blotches.