Osteochilus vittatus

Osteochilus vittatus is a species of cyprinid fish from Southeast Asia. Its common name is bonylip barb,'Hasselt's bony-lipped barb, hard-lipped barb, or silver sharkminnow'. It grows to SL.

Distribution

The species is widely distributed in the Malay Peninsular and Indochina as well as southern China, Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. It occurs in the Salween, Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, as well as in many smaller drainages.

Habitat

It inhabits a wide range of freshwater habitats: lowland marshlands, lakes, peat swamps, rivers, and hill streams. It is usually associated with slow-flowing large streams with muddy to sandy rocky bottom.

Diet

Adults feed on aquatic plants and particularly the roots of the plants, unicellular algae and some crustaceans. Young are reported to feed on detritus.

Utilization

Osteochilus vittatus is an important fishery species in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins. It is occasionally present in aquarium trade.