Barbonymus

Barbonymus is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae, containing some barb species. The genus was only established in 1999, with the tinfoil barb (B. schwanenfeldii) as type species; thus, these fish are sometimes collectively called tinfoil barbs or simply tinfoils (in reference to their reflective, tinfoil-like scales). The new genus was established in recognition of the fact that some large Asian "barbs", formerly rather indiscriminately lumped in Barbus (typical barbels and relatives), Barbodes (barb-like carps) and Puntius (spotted barbs), form a distinct evolutionary lineage.

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Actinopterygii

Order:Cypriniformes

Family:Cyprinidae

Quick facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

Barbonymus
Barbonymus schwanenfeldii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cypriniformes
Family:	Cyprinidae
Subfamily:	Cyprininae
Genus:	Barbonymus Kottelat, 1999[1]
Type species
Barbus schwanenfeldii Bleeker, 1853

Close

They are actually very close relatives of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Even though only five species are included at present, it is not certain whether these form a monophyletic lineage; the Java barb (B. gonionotus) for example seems to be very close indeed to Cyclocheilichthys, which unites a number of barb-like "carps". Past hybridization is known widely in Cyprinidae, and confounds molecular and other cladistic studies relying on a single source of data. Altogether the delimitation of the typical carps and allied genera remains still not fully solved.^[2] Individual variation of morphology within Barbonymus species is another obstacle in their systematics.^[3]