Ruby-tinted barb

Dawkinsia rubrotincta

Also known as Rubrotincta filament barb, Red tinged barb

FreshwaterFish

Ruby-tinted barb (Dawkinsia rubrotincta) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 70–79°F (21–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Kaveri basin, southern India
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The ruby-tinted barb is an active, peaceful filament barb that lives in shoals, so keep a group of six or more; in numbers the males display to one another and the group settles rather than chasing. It is a strong swimmer of the middle water and needs open length to cover, along with the company of other lively but gentle fish such as other barbs, larger rasboras, and peaceful catfish. It is a hearty eater and takes flake, pellets, and frozen foods readily, with some greens. Grown fish reach around 10 centimetres and swim hard, so length matters more than fancy planting. A tank of around 160 liters gives a small group real room to move.

In the wild

Dawkinsia rubrotincta is native to the Kaveri (Cauvery) river system of southern India, where it lives in clear, flowing rivers and hill streams over rock and gravel. A river-style tank with brisk current, a sand or gravel bed, water-worn stones, and some hardy plants suits it well. Keep it at 21 to 26 degrees Celsius with pH 6.0 to 7.5, and give a group the open swimming space its constant motion demands.

Good to know

Dawkinsia rubrotincta belongs to the carp family, Cyprinidae, and reaches about 10 centimetres. It was described by Jerdon in 1849 and placed in the genus Dawkinsia in 2012; the name rubrotincta means red-tinted, for the ruby wash that spreads through the fins and flank of mature fish. Like its filament-barb relatives, breeding males grow extended dorsal rays, but aquarium spawning is not on record.

Did you know

Despite looking like one of the recently described Western Ghats filament barbs, this fish has carried a scientific name since 1849, when Jerdon first recorded it from the Kaveri; only its modern genus, Dawkinsia, is new.