Cherry barb

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Cherry barb
Male Cherry Barb 700.jpg
Female Cherry Barb 500.jpg
male above, female below
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Smiliogastrinae
Genus: Rohanella
Sudasinghe, Rüber & Meegaskumbura,
Species:
R. titteya
Binomial name
Rohanella titteya
Synonyms

Puntius titteyaDeraniyagala, 1929Barbus titteya(Deraniyagala, 1929)
Capoeta titteya(Deraniyagala, 1929)

Contents

The cherry barb (Rohanella titteya) is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, [2] and introduced populations have become established in Mexico and Colombia. The cherry barb was named Puntius titteya by Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala in 1929. Synonyms include Barbus titteya and Capoeta titteya. It is the only species in the genus Rohanella.

The species is commercially important in the aquarium trade and farmed in larger numbers, but it remains threatened by overcollection and habitat loss. [3]

Taxonomy

he cherry barb was first formally described as Puntius titteya in 1929 by the Sri Lankan naturalist Paul E. P. Deraniyagala with its type locality given as Ambagaspitiya in Sri Lanka. [4] In 2023 Hiranya Sudasinghe, Lukas Rüber and Madhava Meegaskumbura proposed that this species be classified within the new monospecific genus Rohanella. [5] This taxon is classified within the subfamily Smiliogastrinae within the family Cyprinidae. [6]

Etymology

the cherry barb is the only species in the genus Rohanella, this name honours the Sri Lankan biologist Rohan Pethiyagoda, whofirst recognised that some Sri Lankan barbs formerly classified in the genus Puntius should be reclassified in seaparte genera. The specific name tittaya is the Sinhala name for this fish. [7]

Description

The cherry barb is a small elongated fish with a relatively compressed body. It reaches 5 cm (2 in) in length. [2] The female is fawn-colored on top with a slight greenish sheen. Its sides and belly have gleaming silver highlights. It may have a rosy tone on its back and upper sides. A horizontal stripe extends from the tip of the snout through the eye to the base of the caudal fin. The male has a reddish color, becoming very deep red when breeding, and a more slender body shape. The females have two pinkish color stripes down their sides, also becoming darker when ready to breed.

Male Cherry Barb Male Cherry Barb.jpg
Male Cherry Barb

Habitat

The cherry barb's natural habitat is a heavily shaded, shallow, and calm water body. Its native substrate is silty with leaf cover. It comes from a tropical climate and prefers water with a pH of 6 to 8, a water hardness (dH) of 5 to 19, and a temperature range of 73 to 81 °F (23 to 27 °C). [2]

In the aquarium

The fish is most often kept in community tanks by aquarium hobbyists. The cherry barb is a schooling fish and is best kept in groups of five or more individuals, [8] though the schools are often less discrete than those of other barbs. Within these schools, there will most likely be a hierarchy. There should be a ratio of at least two females to one male. The male will constantly harass the females to breed, and if there are multiple females, each can escape the attention of the male for a time. The average life span is four years, with a maximum of around seven years. The tank should have abundant plant material (about two-thirds to three-quarters of the tank), but the fish also needs open space to swim. It tends to hide and will often withdraw under the cover of plants. The younger male is generally peaceful, but a mature male can be aggressive when breeding. Appropriate tankmates include Rasbora and similar calm fish.

Breeding

When breeding, the male swims just behind the female, chasing away rival males. The female will spawn 200 to 300 eggs and scatter them on plants and the substrate. It may eat its own eggs and small fry. The eggs hatch in one to two days and the fry are free-swimming after two more days. After five weeks, the hatchlings will be about 1 cm. long and easily identifiable as cherry barbs. [9]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Hampala</i> Genus of fishes

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<i>Puntius kelumi</i> Species of fish

Puntius kelumi, Kelums long snouted barb, is a species of cyprinid fish in the genus Puntius. It is found in Sri Lanka.

The Channa barb is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae, the family which includes the carps, barbs and related fishes. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Eechathalakenda, although this species was formerly placed in the genus Puntius. This species is endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India.

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<i>Dawkinsia</i> Genus of fishes

Dawkinsia is a genus of cyprinid fishes from freshwater in South India and Sri Lanka. It was split off from genus Puntius in 2012.

<i>Pethia</i> Genus of fishes

Pethia is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to South Asia, East Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia. Some species are commonly seen in the aquarium trade. The name Pethia is derived from the Sinhalese "pethia", a generic word used to describe any of several small species of cyprinid fishes. Most members of this genus were included in Puntius, until it was revised in 2012.

<i>Striuntius</i>

Striuntius is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cyprinidae, the family which includes the carps, barbs and related species. The fishes in this genus are found in Southeast Asia.

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<i>Cheilobarbus</i> Genus of fishes

Cheilobarbus, commonly known as sawfins, is a small genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cyprinidae, the family which includes the carps, barbs and related fishes. The fishes in this genus are endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa.

Smiliogastrinae is a subfamily of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the famly Cyprinidae, the family which includes the carps, barbs and relalted fishes. The fishes in this genus are found in Africa and Asia and are commonly referred to as barbs.

References

  1. ↑ Palmer-Newton, A.; de Alwis Goonatilake, S.; Fernado, M. & Kotagama, O. (2020) [errata version of 2019 assessment]. "Puntius titteya". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T18900A174843175. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T18900A174843175.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). "Puntius titteya". FishBase .
  3. ↑ "Puntius titteya". Seriouslyfish. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Rohanella". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Smiliogastrinae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (27 December 2024). "Family CYPRINIDAE: Subfamily SMILIOGASTRINAE Bleeker 1863 (Small Barbs)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Cherry Barb". AquaticCommunity. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "Breeding Cherry Barbs" . Retrieved 15 March 2019.
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