Puntius

Taxobox
name = Spotted barbs

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image_width = 220px
image_caption = Gold Barbs ("Puntius semifasciolatus" var. "schuberti")
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
subclassis = Neopterygii
infraclassis = Teleostei
superordo = Ostariophysi
ordo = Cypriniformes
familia = Cyprinidae
subfamilia = Barbinae
genus = "Puntius"
genus_authority = Hamilton, 1822
type_species = "Cyprinus sophore"
type_species_authority = Hamilton, 1822
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = About 110, see text

"Puntius" [FishBase (2006)] is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. Fishes of this genus are known as the spotted barbs for the predominant pattern, though many have vertical black bands instead. Also, the Spotted Barb proper is one particular species, "Puntius binotatus". The name "Puntius" comes from "pungti", a Bangla term for small cyprinids. The type species is the Pool Barb ("Puntius sophore"), first described as "Cyprinus sophore" by Hamilton in 1822.

Historically, many species of "Puntius" have been classified in several genera, including "Barbus". Despite the reclassifications, the specific epithet remains the same in these - except in cases of homonymies -, as "Barbus" and "Puntius" have the same grammatical gender. The closest living relatives of the spotted barbs are the "Cyprinion" barbs, the Assamese Kingfish ("Semiplotus semiplotus"), and perhaps the "Capoeta" barbs [See Haaramo (2008a) for sources]

Description

Fishes of the genus "Puntius" are found in Southeast Asia and India, including Sri Lanka. The maximum size for an adult of this genus is less than 25 cm (10 in), typically 15 cm (3 in), and many species only achieve around 5 cm (2 in) adult length. In appearance they may resemble miniature carp and are often brightly coloured or patterned. Those species of the "Puntius conchonius" (Rosy Barb) subgroup are notably high-bodied.

These fishes are omnivorous; their diet includes small invertebrates and plant matter. Breeding is by egg scattering and takes place close to the bottom, near or within areas of dense plant growth. They do not show parental care, and adults may eat the young.

In the aquarium

These small tropical barbs are commonly kept as inhabitants of a warm water aquarium, and many species are commercially available. They are easy to feed, taking a wide variety of foods including dried food. Note that these inquisitive fish are active and unafraid, and many species have a reputation as "fin-nippers". These are unsuitable for aquaria with slow-moving, long-finned species.

Commonly-kept "Puntius" species include: [Lambert (1997): p.14, Mills (2002)]

* Arulius Barb, "Puntius arulius"
* Bigspot Barb, "Puntius dunckeri"
* Black Ruby Barb, "Puntius nigrofasciatus"
* Checker Barb, "Puntius oligolepis"
* Cherry Barb, "Puntius titteya"
* Clown Barb, "Puntius everetti"
* Cuming's Barb, "Puntius cumingi"
* Gold Barb, "Puntius semifasciolatus" var. "schuberti"
* Golden Barb, "Puntius gelius"
* Greenstripe Barb, "Puntius vittatus"
* Melon Barb, "Puntius fasciatus"
* Odessa Barb, "Puntius" sp. 'Odessa'Sometimes called "Punticus odessae" or similar "nomina nuda" in error. May be related to "P. didi", "P. tiantian" or "P. manipurensis".]
* Onespot Barb, "Puntius terio"
* Partipentazona Barb, "Puntius partipentazona"
* Pentazona Barb, "Puntius pentazona"
* Pool Barb, "Puntius sophore"
* Redline Torpedo Barb, "Puntius denisonii"
* Rosy Barb, "Puntius conchonius"
* Sixband Barb, "Puntius hexazona"
* Spanner Barb, "Puntius lateristriga"
* Spotted Barb, "Puntius binotatus"
* Spottedsail Barb, "Puntius phutunio"
* Stoliczkae's Barb, "Puntius stoliczkanus"
* Swamp Barb, "Puntius chola"
* Ticto Barb, "Puntius ticto"
* Tiger Barb, "Puntius tetrazona"

pecies

There are many species: [See Haaramo (2008b)]

* "Puntius amarus" – Pait
* "Puntius amphibius" (Valenciennes, 1842) – Scarlet-banded Barb
* "Puntius anchisporus" (Vaillant, 1902)
* "Puntius arenatus" (Day, 1878)
* "Puntius arulius" – Arulius Barb
* "Puntius asoka" – Asoka Barb
* "Puntius ater" Linthoingambi & Vishwanath, 2007
* "Puntius aurotaeniatus" (Tirant, 1885)
* "Puntius bandula" – Bandula Barb
* "Puntius bantolanensis" (Day, 1914)
* "Puntius baoulan" – Baolan
* "Puntius bimaculatus" (Bleeker, 1863) – Redside Barb
* "Puntius binotatus" – Spotted Barb, Common Barb
* "Puntius bovanicus" (Day, 1878) – Bowany Barb
* "Puntius brevis" (Bleeker, 1850)
* "Puntius burmanicus" (Day, 1878)
* "Puntius carnaticus" (Jerdon, 1849) – Carnatic Carp
* "Puntius cataractae"
* "Puntius cauveriensis" (Hora, 1937) – Cauvery Barb
* "Puntius chola" – Swamp Barb, Chola Barb
* "Puntius clemens" (Herre, 1924)
* "Puntius compressiformis" (Cockerell, 1913)
* "Puntius coorgensis" Jayaram, 1982
* "Puntius deccanensis" Yazdani & Babu Rao, 1976 – Deccan Barb
* "Puntius denisonii" – Redline Torpedo Barb, Denison Barb, "roseline shark"
* "Puntius disa" (Herre, 1932)
* "Puntius dorsalis" (Jerdon, 1849) – Long-snouted Barb
* "Puntius dorsimaculatus" (Ahl, 1923) – Blackline Barb
* "Puntius dunckeri" – Bigspot Barb
* "Puntius endecanalis" (Roberts, 1989
* "Puntius eugrammus" (Silas, 1956) – Striped Barb
* "Puntius everetti" – Clown Barb, Everett's Barb
* "Puntius fasciatus" – Melon Barb
* "Puntius filamentosus" (Valenciennes, 1844) – Blackspot Barb
* "Puntius flavifuscus" – Katapa-tapa
* "Puntius foerschi" (Kottelat, 1982)
* "Puntius fraseri" (Hora & Misra, 1938) – Dharna Barb
* "Puntius guganio" (Hamilton, 1822) – Glass Barb
* "Puntius hemictenus"
* "Puntius herrei"
* "Puntius hexazona" (Weber & de Beaufort, 1912) – Sixband Barb
* "Puntius jacobusboehlkei" (Fowler, 1958)
* "Puntius katolo" (Herre, 1924)
* "Puntius khugae" Linthoingambi & Vishwanath, 2007
* "Puntius kuchingensis" (Herre, 1940)
* "Puntius lanaoensis" – Kandar
* "Puntius lateristriga" – Spanner Barb, T-Barb
* "Puntius leiacanthus" (Bleeker, 1860)
* "Puntius lindog" – Lindog
* "Puntius lineatus" (Duncker, 1904) – Lined Barb
* "Puntius manalak" – Manalak
* "Puntius manguaoensis"
* "Puntius manipurensis" (Rema Devi & Viswanath, 2000)
* "Puntius martenstyni" – Martenstyn's Barb
* "Puntius masyai" (Smith, 1945)
* "Puntius meingangbii" (Arunkumar & Singh, 2003)
* "Puntius melanostigma" (Day, 1878) – Wynaad Barb
* "Puntius microps" (Guenther, 1868)
* "Puntius montanoi" Sauvage, 1881
* "Puntius mudumalaiensis" (Menon & Rema Devi, 1992)
* "Puntius muzaffarpurensis" (Srivastava, Verma & Sharma, 1977)
* "Puntius okae" (Fowler, 1949)
* "Puntius oligolepis" – Checker Barb, Checkerboard Barb, Checkered Barb, Island Barb
* "Puntius ophicephalus" (Raj, 1941) – Channa Barb
* "Puntius orphoides" (Valenciennes, 1842) – Javaen Barb
* "Puntius parrah" (Day, 1865)
* "Puntius partipentazona" – Partipentazona Barb
* "Puntius paucimaculatus" Wang & Ni, 1982
* "Puntius pentazona" – Pentazona Barb, Fiveband Barb
* "Puntius pleurotaenia" – Side-striped Barb, Black-lined Barb
* "Puntius punjaubensis" (Day, 1871)
* "Puntius rhombeus" (Kottelat, 2000)
* "Puntius rhomboocellatus" (Koumans, 1940)
* "Puntius roseipinnis" (Valenciennes, 1842) – Pondicherry Barb
* "Puntius sachsii" (Ahl, 1923) – Gold-finned Barb
* "Puntius sahyadriensis" (Silas, 1953) – Khavli Barb
* "Puntius sarana" (Hamilton, 1822) – Olive Barb
* "Puntius sachsi"
* "Puntius semifasciolatus" (Guenther, 1868) – Green Barb, Chinese Barb
** "Puntius semifasciolatus" var. "schuberti" – Gold Barb, Schuberti Barb
* "Puntius setnai" (Chhapgar & Sane, 1992)
* "Puntius shalynius" (Yazdani & Talukdar, 1975) – Shalyni Barb
* "Puntius sirang" – Sirang
* "Puntius sophore" – Pool Barb
* "Puntius srilankensis" (Senanayake, 1985) – Blotched Filamented Barb
* "Puntius synderi" (Oshima, 1919)
* "Puntius terio" – Onespot Barb, Teri Barb
* "Puntius titteya" – Cherry Barb
* "Puntius tras" (Herre, 1926)
* "Puntius tumba" (Herre, 1924)
* "Puntius vittatus" – Greenstripe Barb, Striped Barb
* "Puntius waageni" (Day, 1871)

"Puntius cochonius" subgroup

* "Puntius conchonius" – Rosy Barb
* "Puntius cumingii" (Guenther, 1868) – Cuming's Barb
* "Puntius didi"
* "Puntius gelius" – Golden Barb, Golden Dwarf Barb
* "Puntius meingangbii"
* "Puntius narayani" (Hora, 1937) – Narayan Barb
* "Puntius nigrofasciatus" – Black Ruby Barb
* "Puntius phutunio" – Spottedsail Barb
* "Puntius punctatus"
* "Puntius puntio" (Hamilton, 1822)
* "Puntius stoliczkanus" – Stoliczkae's Barb
* "Puntius tetrazona" – Tiger Barb
* "Puntius tiantian"
* "Puntius ticto" (Hamilton, 1822) – Ticto Barb, Twospot Barb
* "Puntius" sp. 'Odessa' – Odessa Barb

Footnotes

References

* (2008a): Mikko's Phylogeny Archive - [http://www.helsinki.fi/~mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/actinopterygii/cypriniformes/cyprinidae/cyprininae.html Cyprinidae] . Version of 2008-MAR-17. Retrieved 2008-JUN-29.
* (2008b): Mikko's Phylogeny Archive - [http://www.helsinki.fi/~mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/actinopterygii/cypriniformes/cyprinidae/puntius.html "Puntius"] . Version of 2008-MAR-11. Retrieved 2008-JUN-29.
* (1997): "Freshwater Aquarium Fish". Chartwell Books, Edison, New Jersey. ISBN 0-7858-0867-1
* (2002): "The Bumper Book of Tropical Aquarium Fishes" (2nd ed.). Interpet Publishing. ISBN 1842860747

External links

*Article on P synderi and comparison with P semifasciolatus, see: http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/45.2/149.pdf
*Genetic studies of some South Asian Puntius species, see:
# http://www.journalarchive.jst.go.jp/jnlpdf.php?cdjournal=pjab1977&cdvol=53&noissue=6&startpage=231&lang=en&from=jnltoc
# http://www.journalarchive.jst.go.jp/jnlpdf.php?cdjournal=pjab1977&cdvol=53&noissue=7&startpage=282&lang=en&from=jnltoc
# Puntius stoliczkanus http://nels.nii.ac.jp/els/contents_disp.php?id=ART0006479298&type=pdf&lang=en&host=cinii&order_no=Z00000014593846&ppv_type=0&lang_sw=&no=1203405309&cp=
# Puntius phylogenetic tree http://www.bmnh.org/PDFs/FB_04_Science.pdf