The giant barb ranks among the largest freshwater fish in the world, and is probably the largest fish in the family Cyprinidae. It may reach (although this claimed maximum length needs confirmation) and weigh up to . Among the cyprinids, only the golden mahseer can reach a comparable length, but it is a relatively slender fish that weighs far less. Few large giant barbs are caught today. For example, no individual weighing more than has been caught in Cambodia since 1994. Today, the maximum length is about .