Tiger Barb
Puntius tetrazona
The tiger barb, commonly sold under Puntius tetrazona and also placed by many taxonomists in Puntigrus, is a small Southeast Asian cyprinid with four dark vertical bands, warm gold body color, and orange-red fins. Wild-type fish come from slow or moderately flowing waters of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo region, while aquarium strains include green or moss, albino, gold, and long-finned forms. Their constant movement and tight social signaling make them a classic schooling fish, but the same energy can turn into fin nipping in the wrong setup.
Aquarium care is built around keeping a real group, usually eight or more, in a tank with open swimming room, plants or wood for cover, and clean, well-oxygenated water. They are omnivores that take quality prepared foods along with small frozen, live, or vegetable-based offerings. Slow, long-finned tankmates such as fancy guppies, bettas, and angelfish are poor matches; sturdier barbs, danios, loaches, and many medium community fish usually fare better. Most tiger barbs in the trade are captive bred, which helps reduce pressure on wild stocks and gives buyers predictable color and health.
