''Leptobarbus rubripinna'', also known as the Sultan barb, is a species of freshwater

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

from the

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

and

minnow Minnow is the common name for a number of species of small freshwater fish, belonging to several genera of the families Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae. They are also known in Ireland as pinkeens. Smaller fish in the subfamily Leusciscidae are ...

family,

Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest v ...

which occurs in south-east Asia. It is a migratory species which moves from the deltas and estuaries upstream to spawn, this occurs in January and February in the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annuall ...

with the fish returning downstream in May and June. It feeds on insects and fruits, even poisonous fruits and as a result of this diet its flesh sometimes becomes toxic, although this species is harvested as a food fish. Adult fish seem to prefer deeper areas in the river such as pools or slow-moving stretches, although they will occur in faster-flowing stretches when feeding. It is a common but never abundant species which occurs in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in the drainages of the Mekong, Chao Praya and

Mae Klong The Mae Klong (, , ), sometimes spelled Mae Khlong or Meklong, is a river in western Thailand. The river begins at the confluence of the Khwae Noi (Khwae Sai Yok) and the Khwae Yai River (Khwae Si Sawat) in Kanchanaburi, it passes Ratchaburi ...

rivers where it is threatened by damming and deforestation, which destroys the seasonally flooded forest this species often feeds in. It was until recently considered to be conspecific with '' Leptobarbus hoevenii'' but it is now considered to be a separate species, although they share English vernacular names under which both species may appear in the aquarium trade. One of these names, "mad barb", refers to its behaviour when apparently intoxicated after consuming some types of poisonous fruit. As an aquarium fish it is really only suitable for large public displays and it grows too large for most tanks, reaching sizes of up to 1 metre in length. It is a popular quarry for sport anglers in south-east Asia.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q5590468 Leptobarbus Fish of Thailand Fish described in 1937