Pethia padamya

Odessa barb ( Pethia padamya )

The Odessa barb ( Pethia padamya ( Syn: Puntius padamya ) ), also known as fire red mullet because of the red edge strip of the males, is a freshwater fish of the carp family (Cyprinidae ). The species was first described scientifically in 2008, but was known in the hobby since the 1970s. Your German trivial name it received since it was first discovered on an ornamental fish market in Odessa. Its natural habitat long remained unknown. Since no type locality was given, no initial description could be made.

Dissemination

The Odessa barb has been described in 2008 by type of specimens that were caught in a landscaped pond of people near Mandalay in the catchment area of the Irrawaddy in Burma. It has also been demonstrated in the lower Chindwin.

Features

The Odessa barb is 7 cm long. Your body has the typical form of small südasiatscher barbel. From another barbel of the genus Pethia it differs mainly by the coloring. It is silvery gray to light olive, with dark scaly edge, so the result is a net pattern. On the upper edge of the gill cover there is a bruise to the body sides, two black spots, one in the shoulder region, the other, smaller, above the end of the anal fin. Males are more intensely colored and covered by a red longitudinal band on the flanks, which runs to the tail fin shaft. Dorsal, anal and caudal fin of the males are covered with black dots.

The lateral line is short. In the upper jaw there is a short Bartel pair.

• Fins formula: Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal soft rays: 8
• Dandruff formula: SL 5-8, scales around the caudal peduncle 12