Cherry Barb vs Wels Catfish

Puntius titteya verglichen mit Silurus glanis

Taxonomy & Classification

Eigenschaft	Cherry Barb	Wels Catfish
Wissenschaftlicher Name	Puntius titteya	Silurus glanis
Ordnung	Cypriniformes	Siluriformes
Familie	Cyprinidae	Ictaluridae
Conservation Status	Vulnerable	Least Concern

Physical Traits

Eigenschaft	Cherry Barb	Wels Catfish
Maximale Länge	5,0 cm	500,0 cm
Maximales Gewicht	0,002 kg	300,0 kg
Färbung	Males are vivid cherry-red over the entire body with a dark mid-lateral stripe from snout to tail; females are pale golden-olive with the same dark stripe; fins reddish to clear.	Dark olive-green to slate-gray back with irregular mottled marbling of darker blotches; flanks grade to olive-yellow; scaleless smooth skin; belly pale cream to yellowish-white; head broad and flat.

Habitat & Environment

Eigenschaft	Cherry Barb	Wels Catfish
Wassertyp	Freshwater	Brackish
Tiefenbereich	—	0-30m
Verbreitungsgebiet	Endemic to the Kelani River basin in southwestern Sri Lanka. Restricted to shaded, slow-flowing forest streams and small tributaries with dense riparian vegetation; population has …	Native to large river systems and lakes of central and eastern Europe from the Rhine basin east to the Caspian and Aral sea drainages. Introduced …
Lebensraum	Clear, fast-flowing streams of Sri Lanka and southwestern India. Shallow, oxygen-rich, cool mountain streams (22-26°C) over gravel substrates. Dense riparian vegetation provides cover.	Large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs across Europe and Asia (Volga, Danube, Rhine, Ob). Inhabits deep, slow-moving freshwater with soft substrates. Tolerates turbid water (15-25°C). Highly …

Aquarium Suitability

Eigenschaft	Cherry Barb	Wels Catfish
Mindest-Aquariengröße	60 L	—
Temperatur	23-27	—
pH-Bereich	6.0-8.0	—
Pflegeschwierigkeit	Easy	—
Temperament	Peaceful	—

Angelinformationen

Eigenschaft	Cherry Barb	Wels Catfish
Sportfisch	Nein	Ja
Kampfbewertung	—	9/10
Weltrekord	—	—
Quecksilbergehalt	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

Cherry Barb

Not consumed — ornamental aquarium fish listed as Vulnerable in the wild; kept for its cherry-red coloration and peaceful schooling nature.

Wels Catfish

Fatty, soft flesh with a mild, slightly sweet flavor; quality improves from cold, clean water fish. Popular in Central European cuisines — commonly smoked, fried, or braised with vegetables.

Species Overview

Cherry Barb

The cherry barb is a small, colorful fish native to Sri Lanka's shaded forest streams. Males develop an intense cherry-red coloration during breeding. Listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss and over-collection for the aquarium trade.

Wels Catfish

The wels catfish is the largest freshwater fish in Europe, capable of exceeding 5 meters. Found in large rivers and lakes across the continent, it has been documented beaching itself to catch pigeons. It can live over 80 years.