Puntius is a genus of ray-finned
fishes in the family Cyprinidae
of the order Cypriniformes.
Fishes of this genus are known as the spotted
barbs for the predominant pattern, though many have vertical black bands instead. Also, the Spotted Barb
proper is one particular species, Puntius binotatus. The name Puntius
comes from pungti, a Bengali
term for small cyprinids. The type species is the Pool Barb
(Puntius sophore), first described as Cyprinus sophore by
Hamilton in 1822. Fishes
of the genus Puntius are prolific and are known to occupy all niches
(Jayaram 1999). These fishes have been well studied and have been exploited for
the aquarium trade and transported throughout the world.
The majority of
sub-Himalayan Puntius species were reclassified and new
genera Dawkinsia, Dravidia, and Pethia erected
to accomodate some of them, with the remainder either retained in Puntius or
moved to the existing Systomus assemblage, though the
definition of the latter was altered meaning some Southeast Asian species
formerly placed there are no longer members. No species from Indochina, China,
or Indonesia were included in the study meaning a significant number of
former Puntius are currently classed as incertae sedis, i.e.,
of uncertain taxonomic placement, and this also applies to a number of South
Asian species of unresolved status.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Subclass: Neopterygii
Infraclass: Teleostei
Superorder: Ostariophysi
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Barbinae
Genus: Puntius
F. Hamilton, 1822
Historically, many species of Puntius
have been classified in several genera, including Barbus.
Despite the reclassifications, the specific epithet remains the same in these
– except in cases of homonymies –, as Barbus and Puntius
have the same grammatical gender. The closest living
relatives of the spotted barbs are the Cyprinion
barbs, the Assamese Kingfish (Semiplotus semiplotus),
and perhaps the Capoeta barbs. These and the other "typical" barbs
and barbels were formerly often separated as subfamily
Barbinae,
but this group is highly paraphyletic with regards to the Cyprininae and better
merged there at least for the largest part (including Puntius). In
particular the genus Barbonymus, containing the Tinfoil Barb
and its relatives, – for some time included in Puntius – appears to be a
kind of carp
that has evolved convergently with barbs
Fishes of the genus Puntius
are found in Southeast Asia and India, including Sri Lanka. The maximum size
for an adult of this genus is less than 25 cm (10 in), typically
15 cm (6 in), and many species only achieve around 5 cm
(2 in) adult length. In appearance they may resemble miniature carp and are often brightly
coloured or patterned. These fishes are omnivorous;
their diet includes small invertebrates and plant matter. Breeding is
by egg scattering and takes place close to the bottom, near or within areas of
dense plant growth. They do not show parental care, and adults may eat the
young.
Commonly-kept
Puntius species in aquarium include:
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There are
currently 134 recognized species in this genus:
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