Mad Barb

About

Known by the colorful nicknames 'mad barb', 'sultan fish', and 'maroon shark', this large Southeast Asian cyprinid, Leptobarbus hoevenii, is one of the aquarium trade's most frequently misrepresented fish. Native to flowing rivers, streams, and seasonally flooded forests from Thailand across to Sumatra and Borneo, it can reach well over two feet in length. A fact rarely mentioned when juveniles are sold at a few inches. It is also regularly confused with its close relative Leptobarbus rubripinna, and the two species have been traded interchangeably for decades under the same names. The 'mad barb' nickname has a genuine origin: wild fish are reported to consume seeds and fruit of the Chaulmoogra tree, after which they behave erratically, apparently intoxicated. This also makes the flesh potentially harmful to humans at certain times of year. In the aquarium, this species is peaceful toward similarly sized tankmates, though anything small enough to fit in its mouth is at risk. It schools by nature and appreciates open water, and skittish individuals may launch themselves over an uncovered top. Captive breeding has not been achieved, and honest long-term care demands a truly enormous setup. This is not a practical choice for most home aquaria, regardless of what the label at the shop might imply.