Species group · Bony fish

Barbs

WAnimals has 2 species of barb, all in the family Cyprinidae.

2 species
1 family
61 countries
80 parks
Weight
1 kg – 3 kg
Length
7 cm – 1 m
Lifespan
20 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of barbs on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

2 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 61 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • As many as 130 males may take part in a single spawning over gravel scrapes.

    From Barbel

  • It eats invertebrates such as crustaceans, insect larvae and molluscs, and occasionally small fish.

    From Barbel

  • It lives in fast, deep river stretches with gravel or stone beds across northern Europe.

    From Barbel

  • It needs to live in a shoal: kept alone it turns aggressive towards other fish.

    From Sumatra Barb

  • It is a shoaling fish and needs groups of five or more; alone or in pairs it turns into a fin-nipper.

    From Sumatra Barb

  • The genus Puntigrus was created in 2013 to separate several near-identical species previously lumped together as the tiger barb.

    From Sumatra Barb

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one