Barbel: The Only Local Fish Whose Roe Can Poison You
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Barbel
Barbus barbus (Linnaeus)
Mrena
Family
Cyprinidae
Status
No closed season
Closed Season
No closed season
Minimum Size
28 cm
Description
Barbel (Barbus barbus) is a robust freshwater fish from the Cyprinidae family, recognizable by four sensory barbels around the mouth. It inhabits fast-flowing waters with stony bottoms.
Habitat
Particularly favours fast rivers with gravel or stony beds, but also occurs in slower rivers and still waters.
Diet
It feeds on benthic organisms, including crustaceans, insect larvae and mollusks; adults often feed at night.
Regulations and Responsible Fishing
The listed closed-season status is: No closed season.
The minimum size is 28 cm. Fish below this size should be released immediately.
Always check local association or concession holder rules before fishing, because they may be stricter than this general overview.