The Asoka Barb (Systomus asoka) is a species of cyprinid endemic to Sri Lanka where it is found in the upper reaches of the Sitawaka River and its tributaries, and Kelani near Kitulgala.
Its range has constricted greatly in the face of human encroachment, although it can still be seen in Sinharaja, Kitulgala, in the mountains at Horton Plains National Park or in the rainforest city of Galle.
His expertise in vocalizations had enabled him to realize that an owl he heard calling near Kitulgala was an unknown species, and he later saw this bird in January 2001 in the Sinharaja rainforest.