The cyprinid family of fish is widely distributed on the planet, and can be found in many shapes and sizes both in temperate regions and in the tropics. They are found in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Just about the only places without them are Australia and Central/South America. The large genus Barbus alone presently has more than 340 species, most from continental Africa (and the Middle East). Until recently, the genus Puntius was also part of Barbus, with another 125 species of barbs native to Asia. Some Puntius barbs are among our most favorite aquarium fish, such as the tiger barb (P. tetrazona), rosy barb (P. conchonius) and ruby barb (P. nigrofasciatus).
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