Iberian Barbel

Iberian barbel ( Luciobarbus comizo )

The Iberian barbel ( Luciobarbus comizo ) is one of the largest carp fish that are endemic native to the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal it is called and Barbo - Focinheiro in Spain Barbo Comizo or Comiza.

Description

The Iberian barbel are streamlined and lean fish. They are similar in appearance to the strong European barbel. The body is colored golden yellow. Your thoracic, abdominal and anal fins are a light orange to reddish approach. The two pairs are arranged to Bartel under constant mouth. The longest ray of the dorsal fin is stiff and has a serrated trailing edge. On the Sideline 49 to 51 scales are arranged. Males and females show a gender-typical dimorphism. During the spawning season, they form a 'typical' for carp spawning rash. The Iberian barbel is usually up to 50 inches long, much larger in exceptional cases, however, up to 80 inches and more. Up to 18 -pound specimens were in the rivers Rio Tajo, Guadiana and Guadalquivir Rio caught.

Distribution and habitat

The Iberian barbel is distributed in the Iberian Peninsula in Spain and Portugal. She lives in the slow-flowing lower reaches and reservoirs of large rivers such as the Rio Tajo, Guadiana and Guadalquivir Rio. In the Guadalquivir River Basin, however, they have to be almost extinct applies. In Rio Almonte and Rio Guadiana there is a sufficient stock. Luciobarbus comizo preferred deep and standing water with a lush underwater vegetation.

Way of life

The Iberian barbel feeds on ground near plants, small animals and smaller fish. While juveniles are still predominantly eat invertebrates, involving adult specimens specialize with increasing size as predators on small prey fish. Spawning takes place in spring, held in the months of May to June.

Use

Where the Iberian barbel still common, it is because of their size and combat power a popular sport fish for anglers.

Hazardous situation

The Iberian barbel is considered endangered and is listed in the Bern Convention, Annex III, as a species worthy of protection. It is believed that the population of L. comizo decreased in the last ten years from about 1990 to 30%. Blame it on an uncontrolled abstraction of water for agricultural irrigation, water pollution, dam construction, anthropogenic change their microhabitats and introduced alien species, this has led to a steady decline in population density and distribution area. However, the construction of dams also had the positive effect that the artificial creation of calm waters of zones allowed to increase the reproductive rate of the species.

System

According to the IUCN classification of it belongs to the genus Luciobarbus. However, it is also relatively closely related to members of the genus Barbus and therefore belongs to a subgenus of Barbus family. In the middle reaches of the Rio Tajo it very often comes to natural hybridization with other species such as the Iberian barbel Luciobarbus bocagei. These hybridization difficult phylogenetic studies are performed using mitochondrial DNA. The species occurs since 800000-1000000 years ago in Rio Tajo.