Freshwater Fish Purplehead barb or Black ruby barb or Pethia nigrofasciata

Scientific name: Pethia nigrofasciata

        

        Bulathhapa, an endemic fish species of Sri Lanka, is extremely rare and endangered.

The wet zone up to 300 m above sea level up to the Kelani and Nilwala river valleys is inhabited by clean and slow flowing waterways.

Grows up to 6cm long.

It is a valuable fish species with a mixed body color of red, black, silver and yellow-gray.

They are included in the Red Data Book and are banned from exporting. Lifespan is about 5 years.