African Longstripe Barb

About

Found across a broad sweep of Central and West African river systems, from Cameroon's Sanaga basin southward through the Congo drainage and into Angolan coastal rivers, this medium-sized barb, Barbus holotaenia, is genuinely uncommon in the hobby and remains something of an unknown quantity in captivity. It grows to nearly five inches and carries the active, confident disposition you'd expect from a schooling cyprinid of that size. In the wild it feeds primarily on benthic aquatic insects, with terrestrial insects supplementing the diet during rainy season flooding. So a varied diet that includes meaty foods like bloodworm and daphnia makes sense in the aquarium. Groups of at least eight to ten individuals are really the minimum worth considering; a smaller number produces shy, skittish fish, while a proper school settles into a natural social hierarchy and becomes far more rewarding to watch. Any minor squabbling between individuals is generally self-contained within the group. It pairs well with other peaceful but robust African species, similarly sized barbs, Alestiid tetras, Mochokid catfish, and has even been suggested as a dither species alongside some of the more approachable African cichlids. Breeding has not been documented in captivity as far as anyone knows, which makes it an interesting project for someone fortunate enough to find a decent group for sale.