Home · Cyprinidae · Burmese barb
Burmese barb (Puntius burmanicus) — Cyprinidae

Burmese barb

Puntius burmanicus
Family: Cyprinidae

The Burmese barb (Puntius burmanicus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
10 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Burmese barb is a barb (Cyprinidae) from clear streams, pools and rivers of Myanmar in Southeast Asia. The species grows to about 6 cm and has a stocky, silvery body with dark crossbars or spots and in males often red or yellow fins. As a social fish it swims in groups in the water column and snaps at insect larvae, small plankton and algae. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Burmese barb?

The Burmese barb has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Burmese barb live?

The Burmese barb lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Burmese barb get?

The Burmese barb grows to a maximum of about 10 cm.

Is the Burmese barb dangerous to humans?

No, the Burmese barb is harmless to humans.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Birmaanse barbeel sourced
English name
Burmese barb sourced
Scientific name
Puntius burmanicus
Family
Cyprinidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
10.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Puntius

More from the family Cyprinidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →