Taxonomy of Finfish (1+2)

4.2.3 Barbus pentazona tetrazona

Family: Cyprinidae

Genus: Barbus

English name: none

Origin: Borneo, especially the basins of the Kahajan and Kapoeas rivers

Size: Approximately 6 cm

Habitat: Found in nearly all still and running waters.

Shape, coloring and markings:

The body is deep and laterally very compressed: it differs from closely related species in having a body slightly less deep, but a snout more pointed. The basic color is a silvery white with a beautiful red iridescent sheen on the flanks: the back is a reddish-brown tinged with a shiny green sheen. There are five bluish-black transverse bands across the body. The first runs across the head, through the eye and finishes just below it: the second is cone shaped, running from the dorsal fins to the base of other pectoral fins: the third is keyhole-shaped and, starting in the front dorsal fin rays, reaches almost to the belly: the fourth band lies behind the dorsal fin and stretches from the upper side of the caudal peduncle to the anal fin where it ends in a round mark: the fifth transverse band lies just in front of the base of the caudal fin. The scales lying within these bands have green iridescent edges. The dorsal and anal fins are brick red at the base and become lighter towards their edges which are become lighter towards their edged which are themselves almost colorless. All the other fins are reddish and more or less transparent.

Females when spawning have heavier bellies.

Males are slightly more slender.