Amur Carp
Cyprinus rubrofuscus
Java Barb
Barbonymus gonionotus
About
The Java barb is a silvery river fish from Southeast Asia. It is widely farmed for food under the name silver barb, but it also does well in wild rivers and flooded forests.
Also known as: silver barb
How to tell it apart
It can be mixed up with other silvery river barbs, but its pale orange belly fins with reddish tips are a mix most look-alikes lack.
Appearance
Its body is flat from side to side with a raised back, giving it an arched shape, and a small head with a short, pointed snout. It has tiny feelers near the mouth, sometimes barely visible. Fresh fish are silvery white, sometimes tinted gold, with grey to grey-yellow back and tail fins, pale orange belly fins with reddish tips, and pale yellow side fins.
Habitat
It lives in the middle to lower parts of the water in rivers, streams, floodplains, and sometimes reservoirs. It likes still water more than strong currents. In the rainy season it moves from main river channels into flooded forest and small streams, then returns as water levels drop. It comes from the Mekong and Chao Phraya river systems and islands such as Sumatra and Java.
Did you know?
Fish farmers use this species for more than food. Its pituitary gland is removed and used to trigger breeding in other farmed fish.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
