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Barbel

Barbels are group of large carp-like freshwater fish, almost all of the genus Barbus.

The Genus is the rank between Family and Species

Barbus is a Genus of fish in the Cyprinidae Family

Maximum size 1.2 M (47 in) long, maximum published weight 12.0 kg (26 lb)

Cyprinid

Kingdom           Animalia                      (animals)

Phylum             Chordata                      (vertebrates and several closely related invertebrates)

Class                Actinopterygii,              (ray-finned fishes)

Order               Cypriniformes,             (carps)

Family              Cyprinidae,                  (Minnows or carps)

Genus               Barbus

Species             Barbel, Cyprinus barbus, now called Barbus barbus

Subspecies of Barbus are recognised; namely barbus bocagei, barbus sclateri, barbus thessalus and barbus plebejus.

The Family Cyprinidae, named after the Greek word Kypris, another name for Aphrodite, consists of the carps and some of the fish known as minnows.

Characteristics

The fish in this family originate from North America, Africa and Eurasia. The largest fish in this family is the Giant Barb (Catlocarpio siamensis), which may grow up to 3 m (10 ft). The largest North American species is Ptychocheilus lucius. On the other hand, many species are smaller than 50mm (2 in); the smallest freshwater fish is, in fact, a cypriniform, Danionella translucida, reaching 12 mm at the longest. All fish in this family are egg-layers and the breeding habits of most is one of non-guarding of the eggs, however, there are a few species that build nests and/or guard the eggs.

Economic significance

Cyprinids are highly important food fish; they are fished and farmed across Eurasia. In land-locked countries in particular, cyprinids are often the major species of fish eaten, although the prevalance of inexpensive frozen fish products made this less important now than it was in earlier times. Nonetheless, in certain places they remain popular for food as well as recreational fishing, and have been deliberately stocked in ponds and lakes for centuries for this reason.

Several cyprinids have been quite introduced to waters outside their natural range to provide food, sport, or biological control for some pest species. The carp and the grass carp are the most important of these, for example in Florida. In some cases, these have become invasive species that compete with native fishes or disrupt the environment, carp in particular can stir up the riverbed reducing the clarity of the water making it difficult for plants to grow.

Numerous cyprinids have become important in the aquarium hobby, most famously the goldfish, which was first imported into Europe around 1728 but was cultivated by the Chinese well before then. Other popular cyprinids kept in aquarium include the barbs, danios and rasboras.

The type species of this genus is the barbel, Cyprinus barbus, now called Barbus barbus.

Members of Barbus have a great deal of similarity to the genus Puntius, also known as the spotted barb and many species have been relocated back and forth in species origin debates.

Some species are commonly referred to as the Barb or barbel. The name comes from the fact that most of the members of the genera have a pair of barbels on their mouths which they sometimes use to search for food at the bottom of the water.

In comparison to Carp which typically inhabit mud bottomed ponds and still waters, barbels are usually found in gravel and rocky bottomed fast flowing waters with high dissolved oxygen content.

A typical adult barbel will range from 250 mm to 1 M (10 to 39 ins) in length and weigh anywhere between 200 g and 10 kg, (1/2 lb to 22 lb) although weights of 1 to 2kg are more common. Not surprisingly, the size of barbels in large continental rivers typically exceeds that of barbels in smaller peninsular or island rivers.

Barbels have two pairs of barbs, a longer pair pointing forwards and slightly down positioned on the side of the mouth and a pair of smaller barbels under the chin.

Barbels are found mainly in rivers of Europe and Central Asia. They are also found in Africa.

The name barbel derived from the Latin "barba" meaning beard, a reference to the hair-like feelers (also known as barbels) growing around the mouth.

Fish described as barbels by English-speaking people may not be known as barbels in their native country, although the root of the word may be similar. For instance, the Mediterranean barbel, Barbus meridionalis is known as barbeau méridional or barbeau truité in France, but also as 'Drogan', 'Durgan', 'Tourgan', 'Turquan' and 'Truitat'.

Environment:    

benthopelagic;

Living and feeding near the bottom as well as in midwaters or near the surface. Feeding on benthic as well as free swimming organisms. Many freshwater fish are opportunistic feeders that forage on the bottom as well as in midwater and near the surface, also pertaining to forms which hover or swim just over the bottom

potamodromous;

Migrating within streams, migratory in rivers.

Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Depth range - 10 m

Climate:            temperate; 10 - 24°C; 57°N - 42°N

Resilience:        Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tm=3-5)

Biology:            Lives in the deeper, faster-flowing upper reaches of rivers with stony or gravel bottom (barbel zones). Feeds chiefly on benthic invertebrates, such as small crustaceans, insect larvae, mollusks, mayfly and midge larvae

Spawning occurs from May to July after the fish have migrated upriver

Eggs are poisonous

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