Barbels are the slender, whisker like tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the cat fish, the carp, the goatfish and some species of shark.
Barbel
an elongated, hair-like projection, usually about the mouth, chin or nose as in cods and sturgeons (Scott Crossman 1998).
Branchiostegal
rays bones that are ventral (under) to the opercles (gill covers) which support gill membranes.
Barbel: Whisker-like projections most often found around the mouth of certain fish like catfish and loaches. They are a sensory organ and are used for finding food and for communication.
Barbels: Barbels are the whisker-like appendages found on both sides of the mouth of all catfish.
Benthic/Benthos: Refers to living on or under the substrate at the bottom of the ocean.
Barbel Whisker-like growths around the mouth, used for finding food and communication; a sensory organ.
Barbel
A fleshy protrusion from the body, usually the mouth. Used by some fish to feel for food.
Barometric pressure ...
The barbels
Fish that live on the bed or in dark environments (colored or turbid water) have barbels around the mouth (Corfdoras, Botia, for example).
Barbels - These are the whisker looking appendages around the mouth area of catfish.
Benthic/Benthos - Something that lives under the substrate at the bottom of the ocean.
Barbel - list of fish commonly known as Barbels
Danios - closely related fish to the Barbs in the Cyprinid family
[edit] References ...
Barbel taste buds
Mouth teeth, no chewing, taste buds
Pharynx pharyngeal teeth (calcified structures) ...
Four barbells can be clearly seen around the mouth on this Albino Cory
Photo © Hazzy/fishkeeping.co.uk ...
Ten sensitive barbels surround the mouth of the weather loach, giving it the appearance of being a living dust mop. Among the largest of the freshwater loaches, there are reports of weather loaches reaching 20 inches in length.
It has two pairs of barbels (unlike the Siamese Algae Eater). Maximum length is reported to be 15 cm (6"). No sexual differences are known, but the amount of red might depend on the sex of the fish.
Four pairs of barbels surround its mouth. The Clown Loach has a small spine by its eyes, that often gets entangled in net mesh. The body coloration is orange, but paler at times when weak or frightened. Three broad, transverse black bands.
One of the males positions himself with his side at right angles to the head of the female and presses her by the barbels to his belly with his pectoral fin - the position of the two resembles the letter "T".
As mentioned above there are a number of differences between juvenile and adult fish, such as the fact that the barbells shorten in ratio to body size in adults, and the colour is less intense in adult fish.
Its mouth faces downward and it has three pairs of barbels. Below the eye there is a forked, erectile spine; its length is the same as the diameter of the eye. The upperparts are brownish or yellowish brown and the underparts are pale yellow.
The common name "catfish" arose from the barbels resembling a cat's whiskers.
Indeed, these fishes exude an almost mammalian degree of cuteness that is not normally associated with fishes, and with the combination of the Panda eye patches, long barbels and scurrying activity over the substrate, ...
It is also identified by the oversize adipose fin and the pair of feathered mandibular barbels. There are various color varieties of the fish--some with light-colored bodies, some with yellowish-brown bodies (shown) and some with minimal spotting.
They have no barbels and almost all species have round scales. They have no lateral line but most have lateral line organs chiefly on the head.
There are three barbels present on the mouth, and tiny spine-like structures located beneath the eyes that can be raised if the Loach feels it is in danger. Kuhli Loaches can be identified by their dark banding.
About: Weather or "Dojo" Loaches have an elongated, eel-like body and five sets of barbels. They have poor eyesight, and use the barbels to find food. If the barbels become damaged there is a high risk of starvation of this fish.
This fish is elongated with 8 barbells around it's mouth. It's dorsal fin will cover most of it's back. The anal fin has a long base as well. This species will come in four main color varieties...tan, brown, gray, and albino.
There are four pairs of prominent barbels framing a wide thick-lipped mouth. The head is broad and flat with very small eyes. In a healthy fish the barbels are held pointed forward forming a "cup".
The term "Osteoglossum" means "bone-tongued" and "bicirrhosum" means "two barbels" (from the Greek language).
During breeding, the male will clamp the barbels of the female during the fertilization process. The female will carry the eggs to their final destination by using a special pouch located under her ventral fins.
One of the most popular aquarium catfish, it has a striking spotted pattern and long flowing barbels.
This fish should be housed in a tank with a substrate of dark-colored fine gravel or coarse sand to protect its barbels. A shallow tank is preferred because the fish will occasionally come to the surface for a gulp of air.
Like Cory Cats, loaches have a downturned mouth equipped with barbels - an adaptation for living and feeding at the bottom of ponds and streams.
A tank size of 36 inches with a fine substrate like sand is preferred as they are continually searching for food using their barbells. Like most Botias they will make considerable indents on any snail population and can therefore come in very handy.
The body of this Botia Loach is bluish to silver in coloration, and like other Botia loaches, can be identified by the four pairs of barbels protruding from its mouth area.
Sand is best used when you have substrate-digging bottom feeders like catfishes (course, sharp-edged gravel can hurt their barbels and bellies), but sand easily flattens and loses its terrain effect.
Goatfish
Properly named with it's fu-manchu barbels. A hardy marine scavenger.
Flounder
It's trademark body profile make this one of the world's most unique vertebrate species.
In the Red Sea, the cheeklined Maori wrasse will adopt the color pattern of the longbarbel goatfish ( Parupeneus macronema ), which is pale with a dark lateral stripe. It will associate with shoals of feeding P.
is if you feed all of them into your tank at once, some of them may be able to make their way to above water levels in the corners where it is harder for you fish to eat them. If you have arowanas for example, they could jump and hurt their barbels, ...
The Shubunkin differs from the wild Carp in that it lacks the barbels on the mouth area, the markings at the base of the scales, and the size. The Shubunkin is a hardy fish and has a mottled pattern of white, black, and orange.
Catfish
Species of several families with elongated sensory barbells, a scaleless skin (sometimes with bony plates), usually a bottom-dwelling creature.
Taste Taste buds in fish are located in the mouth and also in the skin covering the head, body fins, Barbels and lips. Its entirely probable that fish can taste food well before it enters their mouth.
In other sharks, such as bottom sharks, rays, and skates, these nostrils extend outwards in a barbel shape allowing for sensing of items within the sea bottom.
He had jumped back into the main tank and was happily munching away with his mate even though he seemed to be missing half of his barbels(?), part of his dorsal fin (nibbled by Tiger Barbs whilst "stuck" under the flag) and some scales!!!!!! ...
Aquarium Setup:
The Clown Loach loves lots of caves, holes and any other place that it can hide. The substrate should be fine textured as Loach's poke around in the substrate with the barbels looking for food.
The Corys' small mouths are located ventrally (on the bottom), and are flanked by one or two pairs of well-developed barbels. The dorsal, pectoral fins, and adipose fins sport strong spines.
There are many types of sand that can be used - everything from play sand to black Tahitian Moon sand. The lightly colored sand really sparkles in an aquarium and sand in general gives a very smooth look to your aquarium. Fish with delicate barbells ...
Red Tails spend a lot of time lurking in their hidey-hole with only their barbels showing. Large rocks and pieces of driftwood are the usual decorations in a Red Tail tank, with many people also adding large fake plants to simulate a river bottom.
 See also: Fish, Water, Species, Aquarium, Catfish
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