Dawkinsia filamentosa
Dawkinsia filamentosa
(blackspot barb)
Fishes
Exotic
Collection Info
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Dawkinsia filamentosa (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844)
Common name: blackspot barb
Synonyms and Other Names: Barbus filamentosus, Puntius filamentosus; Indian tiger barb, mahecola, filament barb, longfin barb, featherfin barb
Taxonomy: available through www.itis.govITIS logo

Identification: Distinguishing characteristics, a key, and a figure were given in Talwar and Jhingran (1992), and a key to the 'Puntius filamentosus' species group was given by Pethiyagoda and Kottelat (2005). Pethiyagoda et al. (2012) recently moved this species into the genus Dawkinsia, and provided a key to genera related to Puntius. Color photographs appeared in Axelrod et al. (1985) and in Petrovicky (1988).
Size: 18 cm (Menon 1999)
Native Range: Asia. India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and possibly Thailand (Talwar and Jhingran 1992).
Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) Explained
Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Nonindigenous Occurrences:

Table 1. States with nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Dawkinsia filamentosa are found here.

StateFirst ObservedLast ObservedTotal HUCs with observations†HUCs with observations†
HI198419841Oahu

Table last updated 3/28/2025

† Populations may not be currently present.
Ecology: Dawkinsia filamentosa is an omnivorous species and major components of its diet vary spatially, temporally, and ontogenetically. Major food items include aquatic macrophytes, insects, cladocerans, ostracods, and detritus (Weliange and Amarasinghe 2003).
Means of Introduction: Aquarium release/escape.
Status: Extirpated in Hawaii.
Impact of Introduction: The impacts of this species are currently unknown, as no studies have been done to determine how it has affected ecosystems in the invaded range. The absence of data does not equate to lack of effects. It does, however, mean that research is required to evaluate effects before conclusions can be made.
Remarks: This is a popular aquarium species.

There are no known voucher specimens.
References: (click for full references)

Axelrod, H.R., W.E. Burgess, N. Pronek, and J.G. Walls. 1985. Dr. Axelrod's atlas of freshwater aquarium fishes. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.

Devick, W.S. 1991a. Disturbances and fluctuations in the Wahiawa Reservoir ecosystem. Project F-14-R-15, Job 4, Study I. Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Devick, W.S. 1991b. Patterns of introductions of aquatic organisms to Hawaiian freshwater habitats. Pages 189-213 in New directions in research, management and conservation of Hawaiian freshwater stream ecosystems. Proceedings of the 1990 symposium on freshwater stream biology and fisheries management, Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Menon, A.G.K. 1999. Check list - fresh water fishes of India. Records of Zoological Survey of India, Miscellaneous Publication, Occasional Paper 175:1-366.

Mundy, B.C. 2005. Fishes of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Bishop Museum Bulletins in Zoology, Number 6.

Pethiyagoda, R., and M. Kottelat. 2005. A review of the barbs of the Puntius filamentosus group (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) of southern India and Sri Lanka. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 12:127-144.

Pethiyagoda, R., M. Meegaskumbura, and K. Maduwage. 2012. A synopsis of the South Asians fishes referred to Puntius (Pisces: Cyprinidae). Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 23(1):69-95.

Talwar, P.K., and A.G. Jhingran. 1991. Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries. AA Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Weliange, W.S., and U.S. Amarasinghe. 2003. Seasonality in dietary shifts in size-structured freshwater fish assemblages in three reservoirs of Sri Lanka. Environmental Biology of Fishes 68:269-282.

Yamamoto, M.N., and A.W. Tagawa. 2000. Hawaii's native and exotic freshwater animals. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu, HI.

FishBase Summary
Author: Leo Nico, Pamela J. Schofield, and Matt Neilson
Revision Date: 3/31/2020
Peer Review Date: 3/11/2012

Citation Information:
Leo Nico, Pamela J. Schofield, and Matt Neilson, 2025, Dawkinsia filamentosa (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=631, Revision Date: 3/31/2020, Peer Review Date: 3/11/2012, Access Date: 3/28/2025

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.

Disclaimer:

The data represented on this site vary in accuracy, scale, completeness, extent of coverage and origin. It is the user's responsibility to use these data consistent with their intended purpose and within stated limitations. We highly recommend reviewing metadata files prior to interpreting these data.

Citation information: U.S. Geological Survey. [2025]. Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida. Accessed [3/28/2025].

Contact us if you are using data from this site for a publication to make sure the data are being used appropriately and for potential co-authorship if warranted.

For general information and questions about the database, contact Wesley Daniel. For problems and technical issues, contact Matthew Neilson.



Disclaimer:

The Nonindigenous Occurrences section of the NAS species profiles has a new structure. The section is now dynamically updated from the NAS database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information. Occurrences are summarized in Table 1, alphabetically by state, with years of earliest and most recent observations, and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed. The table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states, years, and drainages selected. References to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the Table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables.



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