Fish profile · Cyprinidae

Tinfoil barb

Barbonymus schwanefeldii

Food · AquariumFreshwaterNative to MalaysiaLeast Concern (IUCN)

Also called Goldfoil barb

The tinfoil barb is a native Malaysian barb that is also traded as an ornamental fish. Field surveys record it in forest rivers entering Kenyir Reservoir.

Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 10 sources

Photo of Tinfoil barb — Emőke Dénes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · CC BY-SA

Max length: 35 cm; without the tail
IUCN: LC; Least Concern
In Malaysia: Native
Family: Cyprinidae; order Cypriniformes

Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.

How big?

Linear scale · hand 18 cm

Up to 35 cm without the tail.

The hand is 18 cm long.

Where in Malaysia

44 open-licence records · GBIF

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Recorded (open records)

Recorded in Sarawak, Kelantan, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Johor, and Terengganu. Based on 44 open-licence records on GBIF. Few records can mean few surveys, not few fish.

Habitat

Forest rivers Reservoirs

Freshwater rivers and reservoirs, including the Lawit, Perepek and Lepar rivers in the Kenyir catchment.

Diet: Wild Baram River specimens contained insects, plant material and other small organisms.
Native range: Mainland Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.

Eating

An important freshwater food fish in Malaysia.

Aquarium care

Minimum tank: 756 L
Temperature: 22–28°C
pH: 6–7.5
Temperament: Peaceful
Group size: 6+

Sources

Last reviewed 26 October 2026