Order Cypriniformes ( Cypriniformes )
Family Cyprinidae ( Cyprinidae )
Genus Phoxinus — Phoxinus.
— Eurasian Minnow — Phoxinus phoxinus [Linnaeus, 1758]. Synonyms: Phoxinus csikii, laevis, marsilii, rivularis, varius. (Engl. Eurasian Minnow, Zaisan Minnow). Eurasia. 10-12 cm. It has an almost perfectly cylindrical body shape, compressed laterally only at the base of the caudal fin. The coloration of the minnow varies significantly depending on the habitat.
The back is grayish-green, the flanks are yellowish-green with a silvery sheen, and the belly ranges from yellowish to reddish. On the flank, there are 15 dark, short, vague transverse stripes (spots), along which runs a thin golden line. The fins are yellowish, sometimes with a black margin. During spawning, males become darker, the belly acquires a reddish tint, and bright spots appear behind the gill cover.
Peaceful, schooling, active, jumping fish. These fish need to be kept in large, spacious aquariums with good aeration, in water with a temperature no higher than 17°C. A strong current and a small amount of vegetation should be organized in the aquarium (this species needs plenty of swimming space). They like fresh, oxygen-rich, transparent water. They can be kept in a general, top-covered aquarium with occasional plant thickets, rounded stones, and small driftwood. Live food. Cold-water fish. They live for 10 years. Water: 4-20°C (preferably 16-18°C); dH 10-20°; pH 7.0-7.5.
Genus Raiamas — Raiamas.
— Coppernose Barb — Raiamas christyi [Boulenger, 1920]. Synonyms: Barilius, Raiamas, Opsaridium christyi. (Engl. Coppernose Barb). Streams in tropical West Africa. 15 cm. This slender, elongated fish has a greenish-brownish coloration with a greenish tinge on its dorsal surface.
The flanks are silvery-blue, and the belly is silvery. About a dozen vague, thin blue stripes edged in gold run vertically across the body. The triangular dorsal and anal fins are shifted back, and the pelvic fins are located approximately at the middle of the body. This fast-swimming, schooling fish requires a large aquarium, live food, and floating insects. Fish are omnivorous, but prefer live foods, especially insects. Good jumpers. pH 6.5-7.0; dH 5-10°; T 18-24°C.
Genus Sawbwa — Sawbwa.
— Sawbwa resplendens, Rummynose Rasbora — Sawbwa resplendens [Annandale, 1918]. (Engl. Asian Rummynose, Naked Microrasbora, Rummynose Rasbora, Sawbwa Barb, Subwoofer Fish). Myanmar, Inle Lake. It lives in stagnant waters. 3 cm. The body is somewhat compressed laterally and completely devoid of scales. In coloration, males differ from females so much that out of ignorance they can be mistaken for different species. The male’s belly line is almost straight, making him look somewhat humpbacked.
The body is opaque, with a turbid grayish-blue color, plus a sheen. The abdominal cavity has the same muted tone. The coloration of the back and belly is equally monotonous. Against this background, the red head and the outer thirds of the caudal fin lobes look contrasting. The redness in different specimens can be brighter or weaker, depending on the fish’s condition. The pectoral fins are transparent and colorless, as is the uncolored part of the caudal fin. The dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins have dark gray strokes on the rays, while females lack them.
The female is transparent, slightly grayish, with a faint greenish tint; a small black spot is clearly visible around the anal opening. The first ray of the dorsal fin has a faint gray coloration, and the ends of the caudal fin lobes are whitish. The remaining fins are transparent. During the breeding season, the male’s appearance changes somewhat: the relatively dull coloration of his snout becomes scarlet, the scarlet lobes of the caudal fin also acquire a brighter coloration, the blueness of the body becomes more distinct, and the gray strokes on the other fins become more prominent (only their rays are colored). The female’s coloration remains unchanged.
Peaceful, schooling, keeps in large schools in plant thickets. They get along well with calm, comparably-sized neighbors. Aquarium with a substrate of soft, fine sand, partially planted with dense vegetation along the side and back walls, and a large open swimming space. They like dim, diffused light, dark substrate, and abundant vegetation (including floating plants).
They prefer to stay in a school of 8-10 individuals in the lower layers of the water body. Males, as a rule, are in constant competition for dominance, especially when kept in small numbers or in the presence of a few females. To minimize this behavior, it is necessary to have more females, in a ratio of 2:1 or more. These fish need hard water, and in soft water, they even get sick. They are not suitable for keeping together with fish that require very soft water, in which case they become easily vulnerable to diseases.
Very sensitive to the presence of pollutants in the water. They require weekly water changes. Juveniles and adult fish readily accept live and frozen daphnia, cyclops, phantom midge larvae (corethra), tubifex, artemia, and much worse — bloodworms, and take dry food poorly. The most interesting aspect of these fish’s behavior in the aquarium is considered to be their courtship rituals.
Juveniles and adult fish readily accept live and frozen daphnia and cyclops, corethra, tubifex, artemia, and much worse — bloodworms. Fish spawn every morning, gluing eggs to plant leaves near the surface. At 3 months of age, changes in coloration begin in the fry. The bodies of the males begin to lose transparency. A pinkish color appears on the head and lobes of the caudal fin. pH 7.0-8.0; dH 10-20°; T 21-25°C.
Identification: Asian Rummynose — Sawbwa resplendens.
Leptobarbus hoevenii, rubripinna.
Genus Cyclocheilichthys, Genus Eirmotus, Genus Notropis. 
