Taxonomy & naming
Enteromius salessei was described by Jacques Pellegrin in 1908, originally placed in the sprawling genus Barbus, which historically served as a catch-all for small African and Eurasian barbs. The species was subsequently carried under Barbus salessei in much of the older literature. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, the authority for valid names) records the current valid combination as Enteromius salessei (Pellegrin, 1908), with the parenthetical authority marking the transfer out of Pellegrin's original placement.
Enteromius is one of several African barb genera erected to resolve the polyphyletic old Barbus. It encompasses a large number of small to medium-sized African stream barbs, many of which are restricted in range and poorly studied. The genus boundaries and species-level taxonomy of African Enteromius remain an active area of systematic revision, and additional synonymies or reassignments are possible as molecular and morphological work continues.
Morphology
Primary morphological data for Enteromius salessei are sparse in the accessible literature. The species is a small barb; based on the pattern typical of comparable Enteromius from West and Central Africa, it likely shares the moderately fusiform, slightly compressed body common to small stream-dwelling barbs in the genus, with a relatively small mouth and the two pairs of barbels characteristic of many Enteromius.
Colouration details are not confirmed from available sources. Many small Enteromius display silvery to olive-brown flanks with varying dark pigmentation — spots, mid-lateral stripes or a plain ground colour — but without published colour descriptions for this species any specific characterisation would be speculative. Precise meristic data (fin-ray and scale counts from the original description) have not been reproduced in the sources consulted.
Habitat
Specific habitat records for Enteromius salessei are not detailed in the available literature. Based on the type locality implicit in Pellegrin's 1908 description and the general ecology of comparable West African Enteromius, the species is expected to inhabit rivers, streams or tributary systems in its native African range, occupying shallow to mid-depth zones over sand, fine gravel or among submerged roots and vegetation.
Small Enteromius from this region typically occupy soft to moderately hard, neutral to slightly acidic water in forested headwaters and savanna streams, with temperatures in the range of 72–79 °F (72–79 °F). These general parameters reflect the broader Enteromius ecology and should be treated as indicative rather than confirmed measurements for this species specifically.
Feeding
No specific dietary studies for Enteromius salessei are recorded in the accessible sources. Small omnivory is the norm across the genus: comparable African Enteromius typically consume a mixed diet of small aquatic invertebrates (insect larvae, microcrustaceans, worms), algal films, plant matter and organic detritus, foraging along the substrate and in the mid-water column.
In aquarium conditions, small omnivorous barbs of this type generally accept good-quality flake and small pelleted foods, supplemented with live and frozen invertebrate prey such as bloodworm or brine shrimp and vegetable matter.
Mating
Like all barbs, Enteromius salessei is an egg-scattering, non-guarding spawner. No nest is built and no parental care is given. Courtship follows the typical barb pattern: a driving male pursues a gravid female through vegetation or over the substrate, and the pair release eggs and milt together in brief contact, after which neither parent attends the eggs.
Spawning in the wild is likely tied to seasonal conditions — rising water temperature, increased water flow associated with rainfall, or photoperiod cues — as is common among West and Central African stream barbs. Adults of most Enteromius readily consume their own freshly scattered eggs.
Breeding
No captive breeding records for Enteromius salessei appear in the hobby or scientific literature consulted. General principles applicable to small African Enteromius suggest that the species would require a separate, well-planted spawning tank with soft to neutral water and slightly elevated temperature to condition for spawning.
Eggs are scattered adhesively over fine-leaved plants or among substrate particles and should be separated from the adults promptly after spawning to prevent predation. Larvae are expected to become free-swimming within a few days of hatching and would require fine first foods such as infusoria or commercial fry preparations. The species is not established in the aquarium trade and practical breeding notes are absent from available sources.
In the aquarium
Enteromius salessei does not appear to be available in the ornamental fish trade, and no aquarium husbandry notes exist in the accessible hobby literature. The species is known from scientific collections rather than aquarium practice.
As a small African Enteromius, it would in principle suit a spacious, well-filtered aquarium with good water movement, subdued lighting, fine substrate and planting, and neutral to slightly soft water in the low-to-mid twenties Celsius — conditions that reflect the typical African forest stream habitat of its genus. It would most naturally be kept as a shoal. Without captive stock or first-hand records, specific compatibility or care recommendations cannot be made.
Conservation
Enteromius salessei has not been evaluated by the IUCN Red List; its status is Not Evaluated (NE). The species is poorly represented in global databases and its population size, precise range and current threats are not documented in the available literature.
Many small, restricted-range Enteromius face pressures common to West and Central African freshwater ecosystems: habitat degradation through deforestation, agricultural runoff, dam construction and water extraction. Without a formal assessment or distributional survey, the conservation needs of this species cannot be characterised. Taxonomic clarity and basic field surveys would be a prerequisite for any future IUCN evaluation.