Tambraparni barb

Dawkinsia tambraparniei

Also known as Tamiraparani filament barb

FreshwaterFish

Tambraparni barb (Dawkinsia tambraparniei) — 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: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Tamiraparani River, Tamil Nadu, India
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

The Tambraparni barb is a lively, peaceful filament barb that lives in shoals, so keep a group of six or more; in numbers the males display constantly and the school stays settled. It is a strong swimmer of the middle water and rewards tank length with near-constant motion and colour. It suits a river community of other active but gentle fish, and it eats almost anything, from flake and pellets to frozen and live foods, with some greens. Give it open swimming lanes over a rocky layout. A tank of around 160 liters holds a small group, with more length always welcome.

In the wild

Dawkinsia tambraparniei is found only in the Tamiraparani River of southern Tamil Nadu, India, where it lives in gently flowing, rocky-bottomed stretches of clear water. A river-style tank with brisk but not violent current, water-worn stone, sand, and hardy plants reflects that home. Keep it at 21 to 26 degrees Celsius with pH 6.0 to 7.5. As a narrowly endemic, threatened fish, it deserves stable, clean conditions.

Good to know

Dawkinsia tambraparniei is a carp-family fish, Cyprinidae, reaching about 10 centimetres. It was described by Silas in 1954 and is listed as Endangered, restricted to a single river. Breeding males grow the trailing dorsal filaments and tubercled snout that mark the filament barbs, and set them apart from the similar Arulius barb. Spawning is moderately achievable: it is an egg scatterer that lays among fine plants.

Did you know

This barb belongs to just one river: the Tamiraparani of Tamil Nadu, a short and historically sacred river, holds a filament barb that lives nowhere else, which is part of why it is now listed as Endangered.