Dawkinsia filamentosa

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Dawkinsia filamentosa, commonly known as the filament barb or blackspot barb, is a small freshwater fish from the Western Ghats in southern India, mainly Kerala and Tamil Nadu (and possibly southern Karnataka). It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The fish lives in both fresh and brackish waters, such as rivers, estuaries, coastal marshes and reservoirs.

Young individuals are mostly colorless with small black spots, but they gain more color by about three months. It is a swift swimmer. Males grow larger than females and fertilize eggs by swimming through the cloud of eggs released by the female.

Adults show distinctive traits: males develop filament-like extensions on the dorsal fin; a black band near the tip of each tail fin; the body has minimal markings.

It is common in lowland coastal floodplains, with Alleppey (Alappuzha) in Kerala noted as the type locality. The genus name Dawkinsia honors Richard Dawkins for his contributions to science education, and the species name filamentosa refers to its filamentous dorsal fin in males. The fish feeds on worms and insects and is often caught by fishermen with bait, especially during the monsoon when they are abundant. The local name Poovali Paral is used in some areas.