Cyprinidae: Barbus Titteya

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Barbus Titteya

The cherry barb is an elongated fish with a relatively compressed body. It is fawn-colored on top with a slight greenish sheen. Its sides and belly have gleaming silver highlights. A horizontal stripe (brownish black to deep bluish black) extends from the tip of the snout through the eye to the base of the caudal fin. Above it is an iridescent, metallic line, gold at the front turning to blue or sea green toward the tail. Males are redder than females, and they attain a very deep red color when breeding. Often the dominant male will have the brightest red colour. Females are lighter, with yellowish fins. The cherry barb will grow to 2 inches (5 centimeters) in lengthThe Cherry Barb's natural environment is one of heavily shaded, shallow, and calm waters. Their native substrate is one of silt with leaf cover.This peaceful cherry-red fish is most often kept in community tanks by fish keeping hobbyists. The cherry barb is a schooling fish and is best kept in groups of five or more individual