Barbel Barbus (barbus) And Southern Barbel (barbus Meridionalis)
The barbel grows up to 1 m in length and is a sturdy fish. It lives close to the river bed in strong currents and has a long, spindle-shaped body and a characteristically inferior-positioned mouth with four barbels. The long spine 'in the dorsal fin has a saw-like edge. The long rayed anal fin nearly reaches the tail fin. It spawns in May and June and migrates upstream to areas with a sandy or stony water bed. It is a schooling fish and feeds on the animals and plants of the water bed.
It inhabits western and central Europe, but is not found in Ireland, Denmark, Scandinavia and Italy. In the peripheral areas of its habitat it has produced numerous subspecies, for example in Spain, Dalmatia, eastern Bulgaria and the watersheds of the rivers Dniester, Dnieper and Bug.
The southern barbel is a smaller fish, which grows to a length of about 30 cm. This also lives close to the river bed amongst strong, clean currents. The large spine in the dorsal fin is smooth- edged, the anal-fin is high and when depressed it touches the tail-fin base.
It is confined to certain areas in the northern part of the Iberian peninsula (which is also inhabited by its subspecies B. meridionalis graellsi), southern France, northern Italy, Albania and Greece. Another subspecies B. meridionalis petenyi lives in the rivers Oder, Vistula, Danube, Dniester, Vardar, Strymon and Maritsa.
Barbus barbus
Maximum size and weight:
1 m, 15 kg.
Identifying characteristics: Long spine of dorsal fin has serrated edge. Anal fin does not reach caudal fin. Mouth ventral, with four fleshy barbels.
Barbus meridionalis
Maximunz size and weight:
30 cm, 500 g.
Identifying characteristics: Long spine in dorsal fin smooth. High anal fin reaches tail fin when depressed.
