The black ruby barb (Pethia nigrofasciata) is one of the most popular ornamental fish of all. This beautiful fish, which grows to around 5-6 cm long, is endemic to Sri Lanka (i.e. only found there). There, the species prefers to colonize flowing waters in the southwest of the island, from the catchment areas of the Kelani to the Nilwala. Since its first introduction in 1935, this beauty has not disappeared from aquaria.
Virtually all animals in the trade are captive-bred; there is hardly a breeding company in the world that does not have this species in its range. The aquarium population is very uniform in appearance. The males of the aquarium population in breeding mood all have a black caudal fin (transparent in the female). In nature, however, there are also populations in which the males develop red caudal fins. Perhaps now that we are able to obtain wild-caught fish from Sri Lanka from time to time, we will also be able to import such red-tails. The pictures show offspring of European origin.
For our customers: the animals have code 370203 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
