Barbs: The Semi-Aggressive Schooling Fish
Barbs also known as barbels belong to the family of Cyprinidae. These species were first named as Cyprinus Barbus and now called Barbel Barbus. Their common names - barbs, and barbels refer to the fact that most members of the genera have a pair of barbels on their mouth, which they can use to sense or locate food and prey. Some of the barbs are semi-aggressive fish when housed in the aquarium individually, so it is important to maintain each species in groups of six or more. This technique will minimize aggression towards more passive tank mates. Tiger Barb Barbs are generally found in Europe, Africa and Asia. Larger barbels are often fished for food in native villages and some of them have commercial significance. The hard roe of the Barbus is often poisonous. The size of the barbs varies widely. Barbs can be as small as 1 to 2 inches and the mahseer of India may be 2 m (6.5 feet) long. Also the lifespan of these fishes varies from 5 to 15 years. Different Types of Barb Fish T...