Taxonomy & naming
Labiobarbus festivus was described by Heckel in 1843, with Borneo as the type locality. The Catalog of Fishes gives Labiobarbus festivus (Heckel, 1843) as the valid name in Cyprinidae, and FishBase uses the common name signal barb.
Morphology
A large, elongate barb. FishBase gives a maximum of 13.5 in TL for males or unsexed fish. Labiobarbus species are recognisable by a fleshy lower lip and an overhanging snout.
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the southern Malay Peninsula (Pahang, Selangor, Endau-Rompin, Johor) and from Borneo, in the Kapuas, Seruyan, Kahajan and Barito drainages of Indonesia. It is found in clear to black waters, rarely or never in very muddy water. FishBase classes it as benthopelagic and tropical, with a temperature range of 24 to 26 C.
Feeding
FishBase lists detritus and insect larvae as food.
Mating
Courtship and spawning behaviour are not recorded in the FishBase entry.
Breeding
Fecundity, egg type and spawning season are not recorded in the FishBase entry.
In the aquarium
A big, active mid-water barb that needs a long, spacious tank and a group. FishBase's 24 to 26 C range suits tropical setups; no pH or hardness range is recorded. It accepts sinking and floating foods, and a source of plant matter alongside invertebrate foods is sensible for a detritus feeder. Cover the tank.
Conservation
FishBase lists the signal barb as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List, assessed 1 February 2019. Its population trend is not known.