Swamp barb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swamp barb |
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The swamp barb (Puntius chola) is a small, colorful freshwater fish. It's also known as the chola barb. This fish belongs to a group of fish called Cyprinidae. It lives in rivers, streams, and other watery places across parts of Asia. You can find it in countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
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About the Swamp Barb
What Does the Swamp Barb Look Like?
Swamp barbs are small fish. They can grow up to about 6 inches (15 cm) long. That's about the length of a typical pencil. They usually weigh around 60 grams (2.1 oz), which is very light.
Where Does the Swamp Barb Live?
This fish lives in many different watery homes. You can find swamp barbs in streams, rivers, and canals. They also live in mangroves, marshes, swamps, and ponds. Sometimes, they are found in flooded fields too. They mostly prefer shallow water.
Swamp barbs like warm, tropical climates. The water they live in is usually between 68–77 °F (20–25 °C). They prefer water that is slightly acidic, with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. The water also has a certain "hardness" (minerals in the water) of 8 to 15 dGH.
What Does the Swamp Barb Eat?
Swamp barbs are not picky eaters. They feed on many different things. Their diet includes small worms and tiny water creatures called crustaceans. They also eat insects and various types of plant matter.
How Does the Swamp Barb Reproduce?
Swamp barbs lay their eggs in open water. They scatter their eggs over the bottom of their habitat. The adult fish do not stay to guard their eggs.
During the breeding season, male swamp barbs become very colorful. They show bright red bands on their bodies. These colors last for about two days. Female swamp barbs also show red stripes, but their colors only last for about five hours.
Why Is the Swamp Barb Important?
The swamp barb is important to people in a few ways. Some people keep them as pets in aquariums. They are popular in the aquarium trade because of their colors.
They are also part of the fishing industry. Sometimes, they are caught for food. In some places, they are used as live food for other larger, predatory aquarium fish, like Arowana.
See also
- List of freshwater aquarium fish species
