Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
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Order : Cypriniformes
Family : CYPRINIDAE
Species : Barbodes dunckeri
Maximum length : no details
(Fishbase, 2026)
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Link to Fishbase
Barbodes dunckeri
(Bigspot Barb, Clown Barb) is an easily recognisable barb found in
a number of freshwater swamp forest sites in Johor, Peninsular Malaysia,
including Kota Tinggi (Gunung Panti Forest Reserve), Mersing (Gunung Arong
Forest Reserve), and at the foot of Gunung Belumut near Kahang.
The most recent IUCN assessment (Ahmad, 2019) categorised this species as Endangered due to
continued loss of habitat to urban sprawl and conversion to palm oil plantations, as well
as illegal capture for the aquarium trade.
As with other Barbodes species this strikingly patterned fish is
benthopelagic in habits; by day it explores deeper pools for food prey -
probably small invertebrates - or it simply faces upstream waiting for
edible food items to drift by.
The examples shown here (Figs 1 and 2) clearly show the size and position of 5 dark spots or patches.
Images in Tan & Husana (2021) show an additional small dark spot close to
the front edge of the anal fin; this is not visible in images taken from a
dorso-lateral perspective. However, the dark lateral stripe is clearly
visible in these images, and the fins are orange, which is a diagnostic
feature.
The type locality of Barbodes dunckeri is Bukit Timah, Singapore,
however the species has not been seen anywhere in the republic since 1940
(Lim, K. K. P. pers. comm.), and is thus considered to be locally extinct.
Figs 1 and 2 : Examples from a shallow forest stream passing through
freshwater swamp forest in Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.
Fig 3 : Acidic swamp forest stream, with high tannin content, at the foot of
Gunung Arong. Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.
References :
Ahmad, A.B. 2019. Barbodes dunckeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2019.
Tan Heok Hui & Daniel Edison M. Husana. (2021). Barbodes pyrpholeos,
new species, the first cave-dwelling cyprinid fish in the Philippines, with
redescription of B. montanoi (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Raffles
Bulletin Of Zoology, 69: 309-323. |
