Half banded barb is one of the less showy tropical fish, nevertheless it has other virtues. It is very hardy, it can withstand a temperature drop down to about 64°F, and it is effortlessly bred.
General body colour is pale olive green, varying to a light orange-brown. It is marked with five or six vertical broken black bands on the upper half of the body. The fins are tinted pink or yellow. When ready to mate, the body of the male blushes red and also the fin coloration becomes much more intense. Adult females attain a length of 2.5 inch, and also the males are just a little smaller.
This species are fairly prolific and their young grow rapidly.
B. schuberti is a golden mutation of B. semifasciolatus.