Barbel

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About Barbel
The barbel belongs to the Cyprinidae family and it is a slender and long fish that usually weighs about 6.4 kg (14 lb.) and sometimes even over than 7 kg. The barbel is also the name of some other European species of carp. The barbel lives on the bottom of the water it lives in and it is most active at nighttime. The distinguishing features of the barbel are the high dorsal fin and the two pairs of sensory barbels around the lips. The barbel feeds on insect larvae, mollusks ans also crustaceans. Barbel fish usually breed in spring and they spawn their eggs on the bottom of the water and after 10 to 15 days of hatchlings the new barbels come to life. The barbel’s favorite habitat is in fast waters that are very rich in gravel and weed. Barbels live for maximum 25 years and they shoal in groups very close to the river bed. The fish is a fighter and its body is built in such a way that it allows it to be very fast.