The Mascara Barb is native to clear, fast-flowing southern streams of India's Western Ghats. It grows to some 11cm long. They are at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

It has a couple of bright red and black lines on its tail and a black blotch on the rear flank like the related Filament Barb, but is more colourful (especially breeding males) with a dotted curve of red spots on the flank, red lips, blue and red around the face, and, particularly, distinctive black shading on the eyes after which it is named.

The Filament Barb, also called the Blackspot Barb, is native to floodplains of southern India. It grows to an average 10cm (4 inches) long but can grow much bigger. It is named after the adult males which grow threadlike filaments from their dorsal fin. Breeding males develop a pinkish-red underside. Juveniles have black spots and very little colour.

Rohan's Barb, also called Rohan's Filament Barb, is vulnerable to extinction, with only 5 wild populations in a 10 sq. km. area of the extreme tip of southern India in Tamil Nadu state. They resemble the related Filament Barb but have plain red or clear tail fins instead of the red and black lines. Males are more coloured with brighter red anal and tail fins and, when breeding, a pink underside.