Denison Barb (Sahyadria denisonii)

The Enigmatic Denison Barb, also known as Miss Kerala, Red-line Torpedo Barb, or The Roseline shark (Sahyadria denisonii), are active and attractive fish with fascinating behaviours, making them perfect for a large, peaceful community aquarium.

In addition, these Barbs are relatively hardy, and their needs can be easily met in the home aquarium, making them ideal for the beginner aquarist and the more advanced hobbyist.

These Barbs are shoaling fish in nature; therefore, keeping them in groups of at least six or more individuals would suit their needs better than maintaining them in smaller groups or as lone fish.

When you retain these fish in more significant numbers, they will feel more comfortable, resulting in a more natural-looking display and behavioural characteristics.

Ideal tankmates for Denison Barbs could include other Barbs similar in size, Danios, and more significant sized members of the Tetra family. You can also house them with Rainbowfish and most Cichlids. However, it would be best to avoid keeping them with shy, delicate and slow-moving species as they may struggle around the busy temperament of the Denison Barb.

It is advisable to provide a sufficiently sized aquarium with plenty of room for these fish to swim around as these are active fish that constantly need to be on the move. You can add rock caves or driftwood in the aquarium with live plants from hardy genera such as Anubias as long as they are well anchored.

This Barb species requires high oxygen levels and pristine water; therefore, high organic matter levels are not tolerated well. Consequently, you will need to perform regular water changes and keep on top of tank maintenance to keep your Barbs healthy. In addition, these Barbs come from fast-flowing waters; therefore, a decent current will be required.

The Denison Barb has a long torpedo-shaped body and is typically silver in colour with a yellowy-gold tint that appears once mature. It displays a black line that runs from the snout to the caudal fin and is contrasted by an adjacent red line running from the nose through the eye and fades away at their midsection. In addition, the dorsal fin is edged in vibrant red, while the caudal fin exhibits prominent black and yellow stripes. Finally, you can find the striping detail on the tips of both forked ends.

There is also a rare gold morph variation of this Barb, which has been line bred for the fishkeeping hobby.

Denison Barb (Sahyadria denisonii) Video

Denison Barbs

Photos

Natural Habitat

Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Denison Barb will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.

Tank Mates

10 interesting tank mate ideas for the Denison Barb could include: