Higher classification Puntius | Phylum Chordata Scientific name Puntius partipentazona Rank Species | |
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Similar Puntius, Puntigrus, Cyprinidae, Desmopuntius hexazona, Pethia stoliczkana | ||
Puntigrus partipentazona aquarium fish
Puntigrus partipentazona, the partipentazona barb, is a species of cyprinid fish native to Southeast Asia where it is found in the Mekong, Mae Klong, and Chao Phraya basins of Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and coastal streams of southeast Thailand and Cambodia where it occurs in streams and impoundments with dense weed growth. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. It is frequently misidentified as the similar Puntigrus tetrazona.
This species can reach a length of 4 centimetres (1.6 in) SL. The fish is silver to brownish yellow with three broad black vertical stripes on the body, a fourth across the eye, and a black blotch at the base of the dorsal fin, which also has a streak of red. This streak of red is slightly brighter in males than females, which, except for the shape, is the only outward indication of sex. At first glance, the fish appears to be identical to the tiger barb. However, when compared side-to-side, it can be seen that on P. tetrazona, the middle body stripe extends completely through the dorsal fin. On P. partipentazona, the blotch on the dorsal fin is not part of any of the body stripes, the colors are brighter, and the anal fin shows red.
Puntigrus partipentazona is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs. It spawns in dense plant growth, and its eggs are sticky. Its specific epithet, partipentazona, means "partly fize-zoned".