Snakeskin Barb

About

Found in the blackwater forest streams of West and Central Kalimantan in Borneo, Desmopuntius rhomboocellatus is a small, peaceful cyprinid that carries the classic barred patterning shared by its close relatives in the Desmopuntius genus. A group that was only formally distinguished from the old Puntius catch-all following taxonomic revisions in 2012 and 2013. The species displays a series of bold vertical bars along its flanks, a pattern that helps separate it from the striped forms seen in some of its cousins. In the aquarium this fish is genuinely a joy to watch, but it needs company to really show itself off. A group of eight to ten individuals is the sensible minimum. Kept in smaller numbers the fish tend to be shy and skittish, whereas a proper school brings out confident, active behavior and gets the males competing with each other in ways that really show their best coloration. Tankmates should be calm and similarly sized; think other Southeast Asian cyprinids, loaches, or small anabantoids. Boisterous or fast-moving fish can easily outcompete these barbs at feeding time. The water in their native blackwater habitats is soft and acidic, and while they tolerate a reasonable range, replicating those conditions will help them settle in and look their best. An intermediate-level species overall, but a rewarding one.