Adults inhabit lakes and fast flowing hill streams (Ref. 4832, 41236). One of the hardiest of the barbs, undemanding and beautiful; most impressively colored during the mating period, when the normally silvery male takes on a rich claret flush and the slightly larger female becomes more luminous. Can be kept together with other small fishes. Feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter (Ref. 7020, 44894). Prolific spawners that tolerate low water temperatures (Ref. 44894). Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size 80 cm (Ref. 51539).

Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh (Ref. 4832). Reported from Myanmar (Ref. 57739). Introduced worldwide and now very popular with aquarists.

Puntius conchonius is found in Afghanistan, Pakistan (Indus river drainage), India (Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery river systems and other west-flowing rivers), Nepal, and Bangladesh (Talwar and Jhingran 1991).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Collected in Florida but not known to be established there (Robins et al. 1991).

Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Maximum size: 140 mm ---

14.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 4832))

This taxon is one of a number of benthopelagic species in the Indus River system. Benthopelagic fish inhabit the water column niche immediately above the bottom, feeding on benthos and zooplankton. Water quality issues in the Indus River habitat have historically been dominated by sediment loading in a watershed which is subject to high natural erosivity, and early disturbance by sedentary agriculture on the floodplains and valleys, which disturbances began in prehistory and continue to the present time. Major tributaries of the Indus rise in the Himalayan Mountains and the Hindu Kush; these influent rivers include the Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej. The Indus mainstem rises on the Tibetan Plateau and flows generally westward.

The Green Revolution has exacerbated water pollution by considerable additions of nitrate to promote crop growth. Other aggravating factors have included increasing amounts of herbicides and pesticides, as pressures to increase crop production expand. Flow of the perennial Indus is dominated by: (a) meltwaters from the Tibetan icefield, the third largest ice sheet formation in the world; (b) snowfall and snowmelt from higher elevation of the watershed; and (c) episodic monsoonal rains that lead to periodic flooding in the Indus River basin.

There are several high trophic level native benthopelagic freshwater fish taxa found in the Indus River system including: the 70 cm scaly osman (Diptychus maculatus), the 30 cm reba (Bangana ariza), the 30 cm Indus snowtrout (Ptychobarbus conirostris), the 30 cm Kunar snowtrout (Schizothorax labiatus), the 35 cm false osman (Schizopygopsis stoliczkai), the 47 cm Chirruh snowtrout (Schizothorax esocinus), and the 40 cm Sattar snowtrout (Schizopyge curvifrons)..

benthopelagic; freshwater; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Freshwater

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Inhabits lakes and streams. One of the hardiest of the barbs, undemanding and beautiful; most impressively colored during the mating period, when the normally silvery male takes on a rich claret flush and the slightly larger female becomes more luminous. Feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter.

White spot Disease. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Fatty degeneration. Nutritional deficiencies

Enteric Septicaemia of Catfish. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

Edwardsiellosis. Bacterial diseases

Bacterial Infections (general). Bacterial diseases

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Specimens with Barcodes: 16
Species With Barcodes: 1

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Population

Population Trend

Least Concern (LC)

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: highly commercial

Comments: Formerly included in the genus Barbus.