It has a round, broad-tipped snout equal to or slightly larger than the eye.

The species was previously thought to have a much wider native range in Southeast Asia, but it is now known that B. binotatus sensu stricto is restricted to the island of Java in Indonesia.

It is commonly found below waterfalls in isolated mountain streams and on small islands inhabited by few other freshwater fish.

It is usually found in the middle to bottom depths of fairly shallow waters where it feeds on zooplankton, insect larvae and some vascular plants.

An open water, substrate egg-scatter, the adult barbs will spawn around dawn.