Sickle-fin barb

Puntioplites falcifer

Also known as Sicklefin barb

FreshwaterFish

Sickle-fin barb (Puntioplites falcifer) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.5–7.5
Adult size: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Minimum tank: 264 gal (1,000 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mekong basin, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The sickle-fin barb is a tall, silver Mekong fish that grows to around 40 centimetres and shoals as it travels, so it suits only very large aquariums or indoor ponds where a group has room to swim. It cruises the open middle water and, being mostly peaceful, mixes with other big, calm species rather than small fish that could pass for food. Give it long, uninterrupted swimming lanes and strong, well-oxygenated flow. Feed a broad diet of large sinking pellets, wafers, vegetables, and meaty frozen foods. A tank of at least 1,000 liters is a realistic minimum for even a small group, with more length always better.

In the wild

Puntioplites falcifer is a migratory fish of the Mekong basin across Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, common in the main river and its floodplain, moving with the seasonal flood. Recreate a big-river feel with strong current, open water, and a substrate of sand and rounded stone. Keep it warm at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius with pH 6.5 to 7.5, and provide heavy filtration to match the waste of a large, active shoaler.

Good to know

Puntioplites falcifer is a carp-family fish, Cyprinidae, described by Smith in 1929 and reaching about 40 centimetres, high-backed and silver. Its name means sickle-bearing, for the long, curved dorsal fin whose leading spine can be so extended it nearly reaches the tail. That spine is also finely serrated, carrying dozens of tiny saw-teeth along its rear edge. It is a river spawner and is not bred in aquariums.

Did you know

The graceful dorsal fin that gives the sickle-fin barb its name is armed: its long front spine carries roughly thirty tiny serrations down the back edge, so the elegant sickle is also a saw.

Tank mates

Sickle-fin barb is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.