- Barbel (fish)
". They are usually found in gravel and rocky bottomed fast flowing waters with high dissolved oxygen content. A typical adult barbel will range from 25 to 100 cm in length and weigh anywhere between 200 g and 10 kg, although weights of 1-2kg are more common.
The name barbel derived from the Latin "barba" meaning beardcite web| url= http://www.thefreedictionary.com/barbel |title = barbel| publisher = thefreedictionary.com] , a reference to the two pairs of barbs - a longer pair pointing forwards and slightly down positioned - on the side of 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'.cite web | url=http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/comnames/CommonNamesList.cfm?ID=5424&GenusName=Barbus&SpeciesName=meridionalis&StockCode=5686 | title=Common Names of "Barbus meridionalis" |publisher = FishBase]
Barbel species
Europe
Barbus barbus , the barbel native to Britain is known simply as the barbel and is a popular sport fish. Subspecies of "B. barbus" are recognised; namely "B. barbus bocagei", "B. barbus sclateri", "B. barbus thessalus" and "B. barbus plebejus".The Mediterranean barbel "Barbus meridionalis" is actually found in
Spain ,France ,Poland ,Romania , and theUkraine . It is a much smaller fish than B. barbus.Other barbel in Europe include "Barbus sclateri" - sometimes known as the European barbel; the Italian barbel "Barbus tyberinus"; the Albanian barbel "Barbus albanicus"; the Iberian barbel as found in Spain and Portugal and another species "Barbus prespensis" from Greece.
Asia
The Crimean barbel "Barbus tauricus" is found in the Salgir River in the
Crimea n peninsular. A subspecies, the Kuban barbel "Barbus tauricus kubanicus" is found in the upper and middleKuban River in Russia.The Aral barbel "Barbus brachycephalus" is found in Central Asia, and the sub-species "B. brachycephalus caspius" (the
Caspian Barbel ) is found in theCaspian Sea .The Bulatmai barbel "Barbus capito carpito" ("Cyprinus capito") is found in the
Kura river in Trans-caucasia.The Terek barbel "Barbus ciscaucasicus" is found in the
Kuma River, Russia .The Turkestan barbel "Barbus conocephalus" is found in the
Zeravshan river.The Gokcha barbel "Barbus goktschaicus" is found in the
Lake Sevan in Armenia.The Kura barbel "Barbus lacerta" (Mtkvari barbel) is found in Syria.
The Himri barbel "Barbus Luteus" is native to Mesopotamian rivers.
The Amur barbel or 'Barbel steed" ("Hemibarbus labeo") is found in the Amur basin and elsewhere in east and south-east Asia, including southeast Siberia.
Africa
"Barbus callensis" is found in Tunisia.
The Ripon barbel "Barbus altianalis" is found in the
African Great Lakes ."Barbus bynni bynni", a barbel, is found in the
Nile and lakes that have been connected to that river. The subspecies "Barbus bynni occidentalis" is known as the Niger barb.Other
Occasionally non-cyprinid fish are called barbels such as "Austroglanis gilli", or "Schilbe mystus", both are
catfish . Some species of the genus "Sinocyclocheilus " a cave dwelling fish found in China have made use of the term barbel in their English common name.Trivia
The barbel gets a mention in
Nostradamus "Les Propheties", century VII, 24 :"He who was buried will come out of the tomb,
he will make the strong one out of the bridge to be bound with chains.
Poisoned with the roe of a barbel,
the great one from Lorraine by the Marquis du Pont."ee also
*Genus "
Barbus " All barbels are of the genus "Barbus" but not all "Barbus" species are barbels.
*"Barbus barbus " The barbel native to England and parts of Europe
*Barbel (anatomy) The whiskerlike structures that give the barbel its name.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
