Pearl of the Congo barb

Clypeobarbus pleuropholis

Also known as Barbus pleuropholis, Side-scaled Congo barb

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Central Congo basin
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

This is a tiny, peaceful schooling barb, so keep a group of at least eight or more in the middle water, where a shoal shows its shimmer best. It suits a gentle Congo-themed nano community with other small, soft-water fish. Its mouth is small, so feed powdered and micro flake foods, tiny sinking pellets, and small live or frozen foods like cyclops. A quiet, planted tank of around 54 liters with soft, slightly acidic water and some botanical cover houses a group well.

In the wild

The pearl of the Congo barb comes from the soft, warm waters of the central Congo basin. Recreate that with a dimly lit, planted tank, a dark substrate, driftwood, and leaf litter to stain the water and soften the light. Keep it at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius, with a soft, acidic to neutral pH from 5.5 to 7.0. Clean, gentle, mineral-poor water suits this delicate little fish.

Good to know

Clypeobarbus pleuropholis is a nano barb in the carp family, Cyprinidae, staying around 4 to 5 centimeters. Its flank scales catch the light like tiny sequins over a pale gold body, the feature its species name points to: pleuropholis means side-scale. Its aquarium breeding is not documented, though small barbs of this kind are egg scatterers.

Did you know

Its species name, pleuropholis, means flank-scale, a nod to the reflective side scales that flash like little pearls and give the fish its trade name, the pearl of the Congo.

Tank mates

Pearl of the Congo barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.