Hemibarbus labeo
Barbel Steed
Formerly Cyprinus labeo Pallas, 1776 · Gobio barbus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 · Barbus schlegelii Günther, 1868
Last revised 2026Edit this page
On this page8 sections
Quick factsEdit
Difficulty3 of 8 measures
- Space
- very large tank
- Water
- unknown
- Temp
- unknown
- Diet
- unknown
- Temperament
- unknown
- Social
- needs to be in a group
- Compatibility
- fine with others
Other demands
Each of these can raise the rating on its own, whatever the measures above say.
- Hardiness
- unknown
- Needs a very large tank
The barbel steed, Hemibarbus labeo, is a cyprinid widespread in eastern Asia between the Yangtze and Amur river basins. A predominantly riverine fish of clear, well-oxygenated running water, it forms schools just above the substrate as an adult, and some populations make annual spawning migrations. Adults lack dark spots on the body and have a long snout and well-developed lips.
Etymology
EditHemibarbus: from the Ancient Greek ἡμι- (hēmi-), meaning 'half', and the generic name Barbus, to which members appear similar.
labeo: from the Latin labeo, meaning 'one with lips'.
Distribution
EditHabitat
Write a noteEditPredominantly a riverine fish preferring clear, well-oxygenated, running waters with substrates of sand, gravel, rock or mud, where adults tend to form schools just above the substrate.
At least some populations undergo annual spawning migrations.
Diet
Write a noteEditWild individuals are known to feed on benthic crustaceans, insects, molluscs, and other macroinvertebrates.
Sexual dimorphism
Write a noteEditSexually mature, nuptial males develop fine tubercules on the head and fins.
Notes
EditThis species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: absence of dark spots on body in adults; body elongate with slightly convex dorsal profile; head longer than body is deep; snout much longer than postorbital head length; lips well developed, lateral lobes of lower lip broad and thick with folds, median process small; barbel thickness shorter or equal to eye diameter; dorsal spine strong, ⅔ of HL; dorsal-fin origin closer to tip of snout than caudal-fin base base; 15+ gill rakers; 6½ branched anal-fin rays; posterior simple dorsal-fin rays ossified and spinous.
References
- Kottelat, M. (2013). The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibiography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 27, 1-663
- Kottelat, M. (2006). Fishes of Mongolia. A check-list of the fishes known to occur in Mongolia with comments on systematics and nomenclature. The World Bank. Washington, DC., i-xi + 1-103
- Bogutskaya, N. G., A. M. Naseka, S. V. Shedko, E. D. Vasil'eva and I. A. Chereshnev (2008). The fishes of the Amur River: updated check-list and zoogeography. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 19(4), 301-366
- Lin, C-J., H-D. Lin, J-P. Wang, S-C. Chao and T-Y. Chiang (2010). Phylogeography of Hemibarbus labeo (Cyprinidae): secondary contact of ancient lineages of mtDNA. Zoologica Scripta 39(1), 22-35
- Ho, H.-C. and K.-T. Shao (2011). Annotated checklist and type catalog of fish genera and species described from Taiwan. Zootaxa 2957, 1-74
- Yue, P. Q. (1995). A revision of the cyprinid fishes of the genus Hemibarbus in China (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 20(1), 116-123
- Kottelat, M. (2001). Fishes of Laos. WHT Publications, Colombo, 1-198
- Pallas, P. S. (1776). Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs. Dritter Theil. Vom Jahr 1772 und 1773. Kayserlichen Academie der Wissenschaften, St. Petersburg,, 1-454
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