Order : Cypriniformes
Family : CYPRINIDAE
Species : Osteochilus vittatus
Maximum Length : 32 cm

Osteochilus vittatus (Bony-lipped Barb, Hard-lipped Barb) typically inhabits slow-flowing, larger streams and small rivers with muddy, silty or sandy substrates.

Its body form is laterally-compressed and  rhomboidal-shaped. It is mainly silvery-yellowish in colour, but sometimes greenish or brownish. The fins are pinkish grading to red at the margins; the extreme margins of the pelvic and anal fins are pale. The tail fin is deeply forked, and the barbels are small. At the base of the tail fin is a single black marking.

This species is mainly herbivorous, feeding on algae and phytoplankton.

Osteochilus vittatus occurs in many river systems of mainland Southeast Asia including major rivers in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia. It is also recorded from the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. In Singapore it is considered an introduced species.

In the Mekong River Basin of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia it is abundant and there a maximum length of 32 cm has been recorded.

Fig 1 : Example from Sungai Tempurung, where it exits Gua Tempurung, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.  ("Sungai" = large stream or  river, "Gua" = cave). It appears to be feeding on algae, which forms a typical part of its diet.

Fig 2 : Sungai Tempurung, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.

Fig 3 : 18 cm example in slow-flowing freshwater habitat in Singapore, where it is an introduced species.

Fig 4 : Slow-flowing, non-tidal river with muddy/silty bottom : the specimen in Figure 3 was found in this habitat in Singapore.


References :

Fishbase - Osteochilus vittatus