Order Cypriniformes
Family Cyprinidae
Subfamily ( Barbinae )
Genus Systomus.
— Foersch’s Barb — Systomus foerschi [Kottelat, 1982]. Synonym: Puntius, Barbus foerschi. (Eng. Boomerang Barb, Foersch’s Fire Barb). Indonesia, Borneo. 5-6 cm. One pair of barbels. General body color golden, back brownish. Body elongated, moderately high. General body color golden, back brownish.
The body is crossed by six bold black stripes with light borders. In addition to these stripes along the flanks, there are additional dark spots between the second, third, and fourth vertical stripes, and similar black dots are located at the end of the dorsal fin base, and at the base of the anal and pelvic fins.
These black dots overlap with the stripes, their number is inconsistent, so all fishes have a pattern that differs more or less in details from each other. Dorsal and caudal fins are yellowish or yellowish-orange, the first ray of the dorsal fin is black. Females are fuller and deeper-bodied.
Peaceful fishes, should be kept in a school of 6-10 individuals. They can live both in a species aquarium and in a community aquarium with other fishes found in similar biotopes. Water should be soft, lighting moderate or diffused. Feed on small live food. The coloration of the fishes intensifies if they are regularly fed daphnia and cyclops, as well as special artificial foods with a plant component. pH 5.5-6.5; dH up to 10°; T 23-28°C.
— Javaen Barb — Systomus orphoides [Valenciennes, 1842]. Synonym: Puntius, Barbus orphoides, oatesii, rubripinnis, sewelli, Puntius rubripinna, simus, Systomus rubripinna. (Eng. Javaen Barb). Southeast Asia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malay Peninsula, Indonesia. 20 cm. There are 2 pairs of barbels. Fishes may differ, depending on origin, in color variations, some have redder fins.
Body coloration is silvery with longitudinal rows of black dots along the scale rows, a narrow dark stripe along the edge of the gill covers, and a black spot at the base of the caudal fin. A small vertically oval black spot below the dorsal fin. Caudal fin is orange-red with a wide black stripe on both lobes.
Juveniles have characteristic dark margins on the caudal fin, closely resembling other barbs of related species in appearance (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii, Hypsibarbus wetmorei). Adult fishes destroy plants and lose their characteristic color, acquiring gray-green shades.
This species is quite active and mobile and can easily intimidate smaller fish, especially during feeding. They should be kept in a group of at least 4 individuals. These fishes get along well in the company of large barbs and bottom-dwelling fishes in a large aquarium. Aquarists have to deal with wild-caught specimens. A prerequisite for the successful maintenance of these fishes is careful quarantine using prophylactic preparations. Artificial plants can be used. Regular water changes and a very high-performance filtration system are mandatory. Feed high-protein food. pH 6.0-7.5; dH 5-10°; 22-25°C.
— Snakeskin Barb — Systomus rhomboocellatus [Koumans, 1940]. Synonym: Barbus kahajani, Puntius rhomboocellatus. (Eng. Red Ocellated Barb, Rhomben, Rhombo Barb, Snakeskin Barb). Borneo, Kahayan and Kapuas rivers. Inhabits clean rivers with a slow current. 5 cm.
Diamond-shaped body, compressed laterally, with a golden-brownish scale coloration and a greenish tint. Its transverse dark stripes are unusual, rhomboid in shape, noticeably wider and uneven in thickness, expanding significantly in the middle part. Inside such a black stripe, a lighter area is visible, bordered by a light golden stripe as well.
Scales inside the black stripes are often adorned with thin golden or copper-green edges with a strong metallic luster. Under good maintenance conditions and subdued lighting, these fishes exhibit a pale pink or reddish coloration. If the lighting is too bright, the coloration becomes more silvery, and the wide uneven dark marks fade. Fins are transparent, yellowish or orange. Males are smaller, slimmer, and brighter. Young fishes have a silvery body, slightly reddish in the rear part with a pale pattern.
Looks most attractive as part of a school of 7 or more individuals against a background of lush greenery planted densely in the background. Prefers subdued lighting, clean water free of nitrogen compounds. They usually stay in the shadowed part of the aquarium, moving among plants. They like to frolic in the current created by the water filter. They get along with any peaceful tropical fishes.
Effective filtration with water flow, regular water changes with fresh water of the same chemical composition to keep nitrate levels low. Any deterioration in water quality leads to a loss of fish pigmentation. Any quality foods are suitable for feeding: live food (bloodworms, corethra, tubifex), plant-based products. Unfortunately, they are very prone to ichthyophthiriasis. T 23-26°C; pH 6.0-7.2; dH 4-12°.
Puntius gelius, narayani, orphoides.
Puntius denisonii, didi, dorsalis, chola. 
