Barbel
Barbus barbus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Barbus fluviatilis: Drensky, 1930: 679.
Order Cypriniformes
Family Cyprinidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Vulnerable VU [A1b, c, d; B1b], BDA-IV; International: HD-V.
General distribution. Europe: from England to the Dnieper River basin; in the north, to the North and Baltic Seas, in the south, to the Pyrenees and the Alps.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. In the past, the species was recorded in the Danube River and all of its tributaries [1, 2, 3, 4]. Later, it was found in the Danube [5, 6, 7], in the middle and lower reaches of its tributaries Voynishka, Vidbol, Archar, Skomlya, Lom, Tsibritsa, Ogosta, Iskar, Vit, Osam, Yantra and Rusenski Lom [8, 9, 10, 11, 12], as well as in the Alexander Stamboliyski Reservoir [9]. Recently, its finding in the following rivers has been reported: the Danube, Ogosta, Lom [our data], Zlatna Panega (the Iskar River basin) and Vit [13]. In the period from 2002 to 2005, its annual catch in the Danube River diminished 3-fold [14]. The population abundance in the rivers Zlatna Panega and Vit is low [13].
Habitats. It inhabits the middle and lower reaches of permanent large rivers.
Biology. The species prefers sections with clean, cold and fast-flowing waters with a sandy-gravel substrate. The males reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years, and the females at the age of 4-5 years. Before spawning they gather in groups and migrate upstream. Eggs are released in May-July. The fecundity of females ranges from 3 000 to 155 400 eggs. It feeds on algae, crustaceans, insect larvae and mollusks. It attains a maximum body length of 120 cm and a weight of 12 kg. The life span is 15-20 years [15].
Similar species. Balkan barbel (Barbus petenyi), Maritsa barbel (Barbus cyclolepis) and Crimean barbel(Barbus tauricus). The barbel is distinguished by the hardened and strongly denticulated last unbranched dorsal fin ray, by the greatly compressed laterally caudal peduncle and the shorter anal fin.
Negative factors. River regulation by dams, barrages and weirs which results in reduced water velocity. The species is sensitive to oxygen deficiency and water pollution.
Conservation measures taken. The species was listed in Annex IV of the Biological Diversity Act (2002).
Conservation measures needed. Protection of the Danube River against pollution and restriction on the construction of dams, barrages and weirs in the middle and lower reaches of the Danube tributaries.
References. 1. Kovatcheff, 1923; 2. Chichkoff, 1939; 3. Drensky, 1951; 4. Paspalev, Peshev, 1955; 5. Marinov, 1966; 6. Marinov, 1978; 7. Vassilev, 1994; 8. Michailova, 1970; 9. Karapetkova, 1972; 10. Karapetkova, Dikov, 1986; 11. Karapetkova, Undzian, 1988; 12. Karapetkova, 1994; 13. Dikov et al., 1994; 14. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2002-2005; 15. Banarescu et al., 2003.
Authors: Teodora Trichkova, Tihomir Stefanov
