Puntius partipentazona
Encyclopedia
Puntius partipentazona (Partipentazona Barb) is a tropical freshwater
fish
belonging to the Cyprininae sub-family of the Cyprinidae family. It originates in inland waters in Asia
, and is found in the Mekong
, Mae Khlong, and Chao Phraya basins of Thailand
, the Malay Peninsula
, and coastal streams of southeast Thailand
and Cambodia
. It was originally described as Barbus partipentazona by Henry Weed Fowler
in 1934, and has also been referred to in scientific literature as Systomus partipentazona. It is frequently misidentified as tiger barb
(Puntius tetrazona).
The fish will grow in length up to 1.5 inches (4 centimeters). The fish is silver to brownish yellow with three broad black vertical stripes on the body, a fourth across the eye, and a black blotch at the base of the dorsal fin, which also has a streak of red. This streak of red is slightly brighter in males than females, which, except for the shape, is the only outward indication of sex. At first glance, the fish appears to be identical to the tiger barb. However, when compared side-to-side, it can be seen that on P. tetrazona, the middle body stripe extends completely through the dorsal fin. On P. partipentazona, the blotch on the dorsal fin is not part of any of the body stripes, the colors are brighter, and the anal fin shows red.
It natively inhabits the midwater to lower depths of small streams and weedy impoundments. It is most abundant in weedy impoundments with dense growth of aquatic plants. They live in a tropical climate in water with a 7.0pH
, a water hardness of 12 dGH
, and a temperature range of 72 - 77 °F (22 - 25 °C). It feeds mainly on zooplankton
, along with some insect
larvae and plant
matter.
Puntius partipentazona is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs. It spawns in dense plant growth, and its eggs are sticky. Its specific epithet, partipentazona, means "partly fize-zoned".
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
belonging to the Cyprininae sub-family of the Cyprinidae family. It originates in inland waters in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and is found in the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
, Mae Khlong, and Chao Phraya basins of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
, and coastal streams of southeast Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. It was originally described as Barbus partipentazona by Henry Weed Fowler
Henry Weed Fowler
Henry Weed Fowler was an American zoologist born in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania.He studied at Stanford University under David Starr Jordan...
in 1934, and has also been referred to in scientific literature as Systomus partipentazona. It is frequently misidentified as tiger barb
Tiger barb
The tiger barb or Sumatra barb, is a species of tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Puntius genus of the minnow family. The natural geographic range reportedly extends throughout the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo, with unsubstantiated sightings reported in Cambodia...
(Puntius tetrazona).
The fish will grow in length up to 1.5 inches (4 centimeters). The fish is silver to brownish yellow with three broad black vertical stripes on the body, a fourth across the eye, and a black blotch at the base of the dorsal fin, which also has a streak of red. This streak of red is slightly brighter in males than females, which, except for the shape, is the only outward indication of sex. At first glance, the fish appears to be identical to the tiger barb. However, when compared side-to-side, it can be seen that on P. tetrazona, the middle body stripe extends completely through the dorsal fin. On P. partipentazona, the blotch on the dorsal fin is not part of any of the body stripes, the colors are brighter, and the anal fin shows red.
It natively inhabits the midwater to lower depths of small streams and weedy impoundments. It is most abundant in weedy impoundments with dense growth of aquatic plants. They live in a tropical climate in water with a 7.0pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
, a water hardness of 12 dGH
DGH
Degrees of general hardness is a unit of water hardness, specifically of general hardness.General hardness is a measure of the concentration of metal divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium per volume of water...
, and a temperature range of 72 - 77 °F (22 - 25 °C). It feeds mainly on zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
, along with some insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
larvae and plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
matter.
Puntius partipentazona is an open water, substrate egg-scatterer, and adults do not guard the eggs. It spawns in dense plant growth, and its eggs are sticky. Its specific epithet, partipentazona, means "partly fize-zoned".