Barbus, Cuvier and Cloquet, 1816

Freyhof, Jörg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 95-96

Barbus

Barbels are medium- to large-sized fishes that live near the bottom in a variety of habitats, from lakes and slow-flowing large rivers to hill streams. They are very speciose in Europe, especially in the rivers of the Mediterranean basin. Only 12 species are known from West Asia, where the genus is very widespread. The last unbranched dorsal ray may be spinous (flexible in its uppermost part only) and either rigid or not, with its posterior edge serrated on part or entire length. The extent and intensity of serration is changing with growth. In many species, females have a longer and differently shaped anal than males, which is assumed to play a role in excavating the substrate for spawning. In all species, juveniles are covered with spots and blotches. Compared to adults, the last unbranched dorsal ray is shorter, less serrated, and less rigid. Some Barbus species have uniform brown to grey adults without blotches, while all species have small dark-brown or black spots on their scales. Diagnosis is based solely on adults.

Lower lip of barbels . The terminology used in the literature to describe the shape of the lower lip of Barbus and Luciobarbus species is often inconsistent or morphologically inaccurate. It has been uncritically compiled, adapted, or translated. Here, we use only the following terms and definitions. In several species, the lower lip is thick and fleshy. In some species, the median part of the lip is produced posteriorly into a lobe (often referred to in the literature as a tongue-like lobe or three-lobed lower lip). Posteriorly, the lobe is not continuous with the skin of the throat; laterally, it is separated from the rest of the lip by notches. The lobe may be long, protruding, and pendulous, or square-shaped, extending posteriorly only to the corner of the mouth. In other species, the median part of the lower lip is thickened but not produced into a lobe; it appears as a swollen pad, bounded posteriorly by a more or less deep groove; the posterior extremity of the pad is not free but continuous with the skin of the throat (often ambiguously described in the literature as a weakly developed lobe). The difference between a lobe and a pad may be slight; we make the distinction by gently passing a needle under the lobe, which results in one of two possibilities: if it is a lobe, the needle can be inserted under the lobe (left in the above image) and moved laterally under the entire width of the lobe; or, in the case of a pad, the needle can be inserted into the groove (if any) behind the pad (right in the above image), but cannot be moved under the pad. In some species, there may be a transition from a pad to a lobe during growth; sometimes, different individuals or populations show different conditions.

Key to species of Barbus in West Asia

1a - 39–44 total vertebrae; small-sized fish reaching about 200 mm SL. ………………2

1b - 44–49 total vertebrae; large-sized fish reaching usually 300–500 mm SL. ………………7

2a - Lower lip with a median lobe. ………………3

2b - Lower lip with a median swollen pad. ………………5

3a - 62–72 total lateral-line scales. ……………… B. niluferensis

3b - 50–62 total lateral-line scales. ………………4

4a - Last unbranched dorsal ray 52–72 % ossified; posterior margin of dorsal slightly convex. ……………… B. pergamonensis

4b - Last unbranched dorsal ray 33–50 % ossified; posterior margin of dorsal straight or slightly concave. ……………… B. xanthos

5a - Dorsal origin slightly in front of vertical of pelvic origin. ……………… B. ida 5b - Dorsal origin behind or above vertical of pelvic origin. ………………6

6a - 71–90 total lateral-line scales. ……………… B. miliaris

6b - 52–77 total lateral-line scales. ……………… B. cyri/ B. lacerta / B. karunensis

7a - Lower lip with median swollen pad. ……………… B. tauricus

7b - Lower lip with median lobe. ………………8

8a - Flank plain brown or with many minute dark-brown spots in adults. ……………… B. rionicus

8b - Flank back and head with many irregularly shaped black or brown spots, often with large, dark-brown blotches in juveniles and adults. ………………9

9a - Lateral line with 53–58 scales; anal longer in female than in male. ……………… B. escherichii

9b - Lateral line with 58–71 scales; anal of equal length in female and male. ……………… B. anatolicus

Figures

Lower lip of barbels