Barbel
(Barbus barbus)
(Barbus barbus)
(Linnaeus, 1758); CYPRINIDAE FAMILY; also called barbe, bambet, barben, barbillon
Barbel are a long, round-bodied fish that possess a long head and pointed snout. As the name implies, they have four barbells: two near the tip of the snout and a pair near the corner of the jaw. Coloration can be variable, but is typically brown or grey-green along the back and the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are green with reddish bases. Barbel are found throughout Europe, where they are very popular with freshwater anglers. Some scientists acknowledge the existence of several subspecies in the Iberian and Italian peninsulas. They generally reside in the deeper, faster-flowing upper reaches of rivers with stone or gravel bottom, where they feed mainly on benthic invertebrates, such as small crustaceans, insect larvae, and mollusks, as well as mayfly and midge larvae
Barbel are a long, round-bodied fish that possess a long head and pointed snout. As the name implies, they have four barbells: two near the tip of the snout and a pair near the corner of the jaw. Coloration can be variable, but is typically brown or grey-green along the back and the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are green with reddish bases. Barbel are found throughout Europe, where they are very popular with freshwater anglers. Some scientists acknowledge the existence of several subspecies in the Iberian and Italian peninsulas. They generally reside in the deeper, faster-flowing upper reaches of rivers with stone or gravel bottom, where they feed mainly on benthic invertebrates, such as small crustaceans, insect larvae, and mollusks, as well as mayfly and midge larvae