barb

TROPICAL FRESHWATER FISH OF WESTERN BORNEO (SARAWAK STATE OF MALAYSIA)

FISH COLLECTION RECORD : BARB

collected by : Michael Lo and Methos Phang

Tiger Barb (Puntius tetrazona)

Even though tiger barb is available in most of the fish shops, it is not easy to find it in the wild. In March 2003, my cousin and I were searching for a blue colored cat fish near the Indonesia border. There is a clearwater stream which is the watershed of a river of Indonesia. There, we found a school of tiger barb swimming freely without noticing we?re watching them! We did not catch them as we left our net in the car. We're hiking to the guard post near the border and then turned back. We did not find any rare species of fish accept those tiger barbs. The tiger barb that i caught is from Kpg. Sebat, near Batu Kawa.

Methos is collecting barb

Six Banded Barb (puntius hexazona)

There is a blackwater stream which is just nearby the Kuching International Airport is the natural habitat for six banded barb. However, due to the development, the jungle has been cleared for building houses. Only a small area of jungle (kerengas forest) is undisturbed. They are very timid and none of them can survive long in the fish tank. I think it is because they are very sensitive to water changes. Most of the blackwater streams can find this species of puntius.

It looks like six banded barb and it only found in blackwater stream.After the body size reached 4cm,it will slowly change the banded form into stripe.(body)

(Puntius johorensis )

More pix on the third page!

comparison of Puntius hexazona (left one) and
Puntius johorensis(right) which looks
like puntius hexazona

Striped Barb (Puntius johorensis)

This species of barb only can be found in blackwater stream. I never seen this barb before until I found a school of striped barb in a blackwater drain in a lowland area. When we caught them, their upper part of bodies was dark reddish color with black stripes. After acclimatized them in the fish tank, they changed their color to alcohol brown. They are very active swimmer and eat whatever food I feed them.

collingwood Barb (Barbonymus collingwoodi)

It could be one of the sub-species of common tinfoil barb. We caught it in the upper Sarawak River. It is an active swimmer and eats whatever we feed it. Its body is silver blue colored and upper part of the body is life olive colored.

Sarawak Barb (puntius sealei)

Sarawak barb is a common barb in Borneo. It is omnivorous and active swimmer.

Puntius everetti

This barb is clown barb, it got a big blotch below the dorsal fin. In other area of P. everetti does not have this blotch.

Spotted Barb (Puntius banksi)

Below is another Puntius banksi which looks like the one on the left. It is 3cm long.

This is a juvenile of spotted barb.

This is one of the common barbs in Borneo.

Spotted Barb (Puntius banksi)

This spcies above should be the young spotted barb.

The clown barb is found in clearwater stream.

Clown Barb (Puntius everetti)

They are common in Serian - Simunjam area.

Kuching barb is a common barb in Sarawak.

Kuching Barb (Puntius kuchingensis)

Kuching Barb (Puntius kuchingensis)

Kuching barb is a common barb in the countryside streams near Kuching city. It looks very similar to spanner barb.

Skin Head Barb (cyclocheilichthys apogon)

It is a shy fish. It takes one month to adapt to the fish tank after collecting it in the wild. The fins are not as red as the species shown below this. The black spot near the caudal fin is bigger & it got tiny stripe link to the end of middle of caudal rays.

Skin Head Barb - sub species?-This one is found at Kayan river basin.The eyes are black in color & the black spot near the caudal fin is slightly smaller than the black spot of the species as shown in the ablove. All the fins are reddish in color.

Hard-lipped Barb (osteochilus hasseltii)

It likes to bite at the leaves of aquatic plant without damaging the leaves. Maybe it is trying to eat the hair algae growing on the aquatic plant. The adult fish got some tiny red spots near the pectoral fin.