''Labeobarbus'' is a mid-sized

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Cyprinidae. Its

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are widely distributed throughout eastern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and especially

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...

, but also in Lake Tana in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. A common name, in particular for the southern species, is yellowfish. The scientific name refers to the fact that these large

barb Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves * The Barbs, a band Places * Barb, ...

s remind of the fairly closely related " carps" in the genus ''

Labeo ''Labeo'' is a genus of carps in the family Cyprinidae. They are found in freshwater habitats in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. It contains the typical labeos in the subfamily Labeoninae, which may not be a valid group, however ...

'' in size and shape. As far as can be told, all ''Labeobarbus'' species are

hexaploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei ( eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contain ...

.de Graaf ''et al.'' (2007), IUCN (2009)

Systematics

Like many other "barbs", it was long included in ''

Barbus ''Barbus'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. The type species of ''Barbus'' is the common barbel, first described as ''Cyprinus barbus'' and now named ''Barbus barbus''. ''Barbus'' is the namesake genus of the subfamil ...

''. It appears to be a fairly close relative of the typical

barbel Barbel may refer to: *Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles *Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish **''Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprinid ...

s and relatives – the genus ''Barbus'' proper –, but closer still to the large Near Eastern species nowadays separated in ''

Carasobarbus ''Carasobarbus'', the himris, is a small genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds in Western Asia and Northwest Africa. ''C. canis'' can reach in total length, but most other ...

''. ''Barbus'' has been split to account for the improved

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

knowledge which indicated it was highly paraphyletic in its wide circumscription –, it may be that ''Carasobarbus'' and some other closely related "barbs" (e.g. ''

Labeobarbus reinii The giant Atlas barbel (''Labeobarbus reinii'') was a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is now thought to be extinct. It does seem to be fairly close to the core group around the typical barbels (''Barbus'', ''Luciobarbus'' ...

'') are now included in ''Labeobarbus'' to avoid a profusion of very small genera.de Graaf ''et al.'' (2007) The

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

of many species in the "

wastebin genus Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically define ...

" ''Barbus'' has recently been re-evaluated. Though

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

introgression may confound studies based in

mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA ...

data alone, a number of these species appear to be so closely related to ''Labeobarbus'' to warrant inclusion in the present genus outright, irrespective if ''Carasobarbus'' is considered distinct or not. These include '' L. ethiopicus''.

Species

''Labeobarbus'' at present contains the following

: * '' Labeobarbus acuticeps'' ( Matthes, 1959) * '' Labeobarbus acutirostris'' ( Bini, 1940) * ''

Labeobarbus aeneus The smallmouth yellowfish (''Labeobarbus aeneus'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus''. It has become an invasive species in rivers of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, such as the Mbhashe River. Introduction The Orange-V ...

'' ( Burchell, 1822) (Smallmouth yellowfish) * '' Labeobarbus alluaudi'' Pellegrin, 1909 * ''

Labeobarbus altianalis The Ripon barbel (''Labeobarbus altianalis'') is an East African ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. A notably large barb, its maximum recorded total length is . Taxonomy Like other African "barbs", placement of this species in '' ...

'' Boulenger, 1900 (Ripon barbel) * '' Labeobarbus altipinnis''

Banister A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide safety or support. In Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are usually used to provide support for body or to hold clothings in a bathroom or ...

Poll Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Figurative head counts * Poll, a formal election ** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts ** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions ** Polling places o ...

, 1973 * ''

Labeobarbus ansorgii ''Labeobarbus ansorgii'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the Kwango River in Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

'' Boulenger, 1906 * '' Labeobarbus aspius'' ( Boulenger, 1912) * '' Labeobarbus axelrodi'' (Getahun, Stiassny & Teugels, 2004) * ''

Labeobarbus batesii ''Labeobarbus batesii'' is a species of cyprinid fish from Africa that occurs in Cameroon, Chad and Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1903) * '' Labeobarbus beso'' ( Rüppell, 1835) * '' Labeobarbus boulengeri'' (Vreven, Musschoot, Snoeks & Schliewen, 2016) * '' Labeobarbus brauni'' ( Pellegrin, 1935) * ''

Labeobarbus brevicephalus ''Labeobarbus brevicephalus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The ''L. brevicephalus'' is one of 17 endemic migratory African barb species that makes a species flock in Lak ...

'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * '' Labeobarbus brevispinis'' (

Holly ''Ilex'' (), or holly, is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

, 1927) * ''

Labeobarbus bynni ''Labeobarbus bynni'', the Niger barb, is an African species of cyprinid freshwater fish. It has often been placed in the genus ''Barbus'', but is now usually placed in ''Labeobarbus''. This is a relatively large barb, up to in total length. It ...

'' ( Forsskål, 1775) * ''

Labeobarbus cardozoi ''Labeobarbus cardozoi'' is a species of cyprinid fish found in the Congo Democratic Republic and Angola in Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 mi ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1912) * '' Labeobarbus caudovittatus'' ( Boulenger, 1902) * '' Labeobarbus clarkeae'' (

, 1984) * ''

Labeobarbus claudinae ''Labeobarbus claudinae'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Burundi and Rwanda. Its natural habitats are rivers, freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, and inland deltas. It is threatened by habitat loss ...

'' De Vos & Thys van den Audenaerde, 1990 * '' Labeobarbus codringtonii'' ( Boulenger, 1908) (Upper Zambezi yellowfish) * '' Labeobarbus compiniei'' ( Sauvage, 1879) * '' Labeobarbus crassibarbis'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * ''

Labeobarbus dainellii ''Labeobarbus dainellii'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to Lake Tana Lake Tana ( am, ጣና ሐይቅ, T’ana ḥāyik’i; previously Tsana) is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of th ...

'' ( Bini, 1940) * '' Labeobarbus dartevellei''

, 1945 * '' Labeobarbus dimidiatus'' Tweddle & P. H. Skelton, 1998 * '' Labeobarbus ensifer'' Boulenger, 1910 * ''

Labeobarbus ethiopicus ''Labeobarbus ethiopicus'' is a species of ray-finned fish. Usually placed in the genus ''Labeobarbus''. It is endemic to Lake Ziway in Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyop ...

'' Zolezzi, 1939 * '' Labeobarbus fasolt''

Pappenheim Pappenheim is a town in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Altmühl, 11 km south of Weißenburg in Bayern. History Historically, Pappenheim was a statelet within Holy Roman Empire. It ...

, 1914 * '' Labeobarbus fimbriatus''

, 1926 * '' Labeobarbus gananensis'' Vinciguerra, 1895 * '' Labeobarbus gestetneri''

& R. G. Bailey, 1979 * '' Labeobarbus girardi'' Boulenger, 1910 * '' Labeobarbus gorgorensis'' ( Bini, 1940) * '' Labeobarbus gorguari'' ( Rüppell, 1835) * '' Labeobarbus gruveli'' Pellegrin, 1911 * '' Labeobarbus gulielmi'' Boulenger, 1910 * '' Labeobarbus habereri'' ( Steindachner, 1912) * '' Labeobarbus huloti''

, 1976 * '' Labeobarbus humphri''

, 1976 * ''

Labeobarbus intermedius ''Labeobarbus intermedius'' is an East African ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. Like the closely related yellowfish, it is hexaploid. A large species, the maximum recorded standard length is nearly . This species has a subspec ...

'' ( Rüppell, 1835) * '' Labeobarbus iphthimostoma''

, 1973 * '' Labeobarbus iturii''

, 1929 * '' Labeobarbus jaegeri''

, 1930 * ''

Labeobarbus johnstonii ''Labeobarbus johnstonii'' is a species of cyprinid fish. It has long been placed in ''Barbus'', the "wastebin genus" for barbs, by default, and this is still being done by the IUCN. However, the species is increasingly being restored to related ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1907) * '' Labeobarbus jubae''

, 1984 * '' Labeobarbus jubbi''

, 1967 * '' Labeobarbus kimberleyensis'' ( Gilchrist & W. W. Thompson, 1913) (Largemouth yellowfish) * '' Labeobarbus lagensis'' ( Günther, 1868) * '' Labeobarbus latirostris'' (Keilhack, 1908) * ''

Labeobarbus leleupanus ''Labeobarbus leleupanus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Burundi. Its natural habitats are rivers, freshwater lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by l ...

'' Matthes, 1959\ * '' Labeobarbus lobogenysoides'' Pellegrin, 1935 * ''

Labeobarbus longidorsalis ''Labeobarbus longidorsalis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to the Luhoho River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratiq ...

'' Pellegrin, 1935 * '' Labeobarbus longifilis'' Pellegrin, 1935 * ''

Labeobarbus longissimus ''Labeobarbus longissimus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to Lake Tana in Ethiopia. References Endemic fauna of Ethiopia longissimus The longissimus ( la, the longest one) is the muscle l ...

'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * '' Labeobarbus lucius'' ( Boulenger, 1910) * ''

Labeobarbus lufupensis ''Labeobarbus lufupensis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to the Lufupa River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique ...

& R. G. Bailey, 1979 * '' Labeobarbus macroceps'' Fowler, 1936 * '' Labeobarbus macrolepidotus'' Pellegrin, 1928 * '' Labeobarbus macrolepis'' Pfeffer, 1889 * ''

Labeobarbus macrophtalmus ''Labeobarbus macrophtalmus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to Lake Tana Lake Tana ( am, ጣና ሐይቅ, T’ana ḥāyik’i; previously Tsana) is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source o ...

'' ( Bini, 1940) * '' Labeobarbus malacanthus'' (

, 1911) * '' Labeobarbus marequensis'' ( A. Smith, 1841) (Largescale yellowfish) * ''

Labeobarbus mariae ''Labeobarbus mariae'' is a species of cyprinid fish. It is endemic to Lower Guinea, found in the Wouri and Sanaga River The Sanaga River (formerly german: Zannaga) is the largest river in Cameroon located in East Region, Centre Region an ...

, 1926 * '' Labeobarbus matris''

, 1928 * '' Labeobarbus mawambiensis'' Steindachner, 1911 * '' Labeobarbus mbami'' (

, 1927) * '' Labeobarbus megastoma'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * †''

Labeobarbus microbarbis ''Labeobarbus microbarbis'' is an extinct species of cyprinid fish. It was endemic to Lake Luhondo in Rwanda. The fish has not been recorded since alien fish species of ''Tilapia'' and '' Haplochromis'' were introduced to the lake. Despite regu ...

'' L. R. David &

, 1937 (declared extinct in 2006) * '' Labeobarbus micronema'' ( Boulenger, 1904) * '' Labeobarbus microterolepis'' Boulenger, 1902 * '' Labeobarbus mirabilis''

, 1914 * '' Labeobarbus mungoensis'' ( Trewavas, 1974) * '' Labeobarbus nanningsi'' ( de Beaufort, 1933) * '' Labeobarbus natalensis'' ( Castelnau, 1861) (Scaly yellowfish) * ''

Labeobarbus nedgia ''Labeobarbus nedgia'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to Lake Tana Lake Tana ( am, ጣና ሐይቅ, T’ana ḥāyik’i; previously Tsana) is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the ...

'' Rüppell, 1835 * ''

Labeobarbus nelspruitensis The Incomati chiselmouth (''Labeobarbus nelspruitensis'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic to the Incomati and Pongolo river systems in Mozambique and South Africa South Africa, officially th ...

'' Gilchrist & W. W. Thompson, 1911 (Incomati chiselmouth) * '' Labeobarbus nthuwa'' Tweddle & P. H. Skelton, 2008 * ''

Labeobarbus osseensis ''Labeobarbus osseensis'' is a species of cyprinid fish which is endemic to Lake Tana in Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic ...

'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 2000) * '' Labeobarbus oxyrhynchus'' Pfeffer, 1889 (Pangani barb) * '' Labeobarbus pagenstecheri'' J. G. Fischer, 1884 * ''

Labeobarbus parawaldroni ''Labeobarbus parawaldroni'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus ''Labeobarbus'' is a mid-sized ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are widely distributed throughout eastern Africa and especially ...

'' Lévêque, Thys van den Audenaerde &

Traoré Traoré or Traore is a surname of Manding origin ( bm, Taara-oray), as written in French orthography, which is common in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Guinea. In anglophone West Africa the name is often spelled Trawally. Notable peo ...

, 1987 * ''

Labeobarbus pellegrini ''Labeobarbus pellegrini'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' is endemic to the Lowa River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo ...

'' Bertin & Estève, 1948 * '' Labeobarbus petitjeani'' Daget, 1962 * ''

Labeobarbus platydorsus ''Labeobarbus platydorsus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' which is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or o ...

'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * '' Labeobarbus platyrhinus'' Boulenger, 1900 * '' Labeobarbus platystomus''

, 1914 (Rwandese carp) * ''

Labeobarbus pojeri ''Labeobarbus pojeri'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' is endemic to the Lukuga River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo ( ...

'' (

, 1944) * '' Labeobarbus polylepis'' ( Boulenger, 1907) (Smallscale yellowfish) * '' Labeobarbus progenys'' ( Boulenger, 1903) * '' Labeobarbus pungweensis'' R. A. Jubb, 1959 (Pungwe chiselmouth) * †''

'' Günther, 1874 (Giant Atlas barbel) (declared extinct in 2022) * ''

Labeobarbus rhinoceros The rhinofish (''Labeobarbus rhinoceros'') is a ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. Its taxonomic identity is not entirely clear. Some taxonomic authorities consider '' Labeobarbus mariae'' as the rhinofish, however Fishbase identi ...

'' (Copley, 1938) (Rhinofish) * ''

Labeobarbus rhinophorus ''Labeobarbus rhinophorus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' is endemic to the Lucalla River in Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , ...

'' Boulenger, 1910 * '' Labeobarbus robertsi''

, 1984 * '' Labeobarbus rocadasi'' ( Boulenger, 1910) * '' Labeobarbus rosae'' ( Boulenger, 1910) * '' Labeobarbus roylii'' ( Boulenger, 1912) * ''

Labeobarbus ruandae ''Labeobarbus ruandae'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in Rwanda. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reductio ...

, 1914 * '' Labeobarbus ruasae''

, 1914 * '' Labeobarbus ruwenzorii'' ( Pellegrin, 1909) * ''

Labeobarbus sacratus ''Labeobarbus sacratus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' from West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Ben ...

'' Daget, 1963 * '' Labeobarbus sandersi'' Boulenger, 1912 * '' Labeobarbus seeberi'' (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1913) (Clanwilliam yellowfish) * ''

Labeobarbus semireticulatus ''Labeobarbus semireticulatus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus'' is endemic to the Louvisi River in Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country ...

'' Pellegrin, 1924 * '' Labeobarbus somereni'' Boulenger, 1911 * '' Labeobarbus stappersii'' Boulenger, 1915 * '' Labeobarbus steindachneri'' Boulenger, 1910 * '' Labeobarbus stenostoma'' Boulenger, 1910 * '' Labeobarbus surkis'' ( Rüppell, 1835) * '' Labeobarbus tornieri'' Steindachner, 1906 * ''

Labeobarbus trachypterus ''Labeobarbus trachypterus'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Labeobarbus ''Labeobarbus'' is a mid-sized ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. Its species are widely distributed throughout eastern Africa and especially ...

'' Boulenger, 1915 * '' Labeobarbus tropidolepis'' Boulenger, 1900 * '' Labeobarbus truttiformis'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * '' Labeobarbus tsanensis'' ( Nagelkerke & Sibbing, 1997) * '' Labeobarbus upembensis''

& R. G. Bailey, 1979 * '' Labeobarbus urotaenia'' Boulenger, 1913 * '' Labeobarbus varicostoma'' Boulenger, 1910 * '' Labeobarbus versluysii'' (

, 1929) * '' Labeobarbus werneri''

, 1929 * '' Labeobarbus wittei''

, 1973 * '' Labeobarbus wurtzi'' Pellegrin, 1908 * '' Labeobarbus xyrocheilus'' Tweddle & P. H. Skelton, 1998

Footnotes

References

* * (2007): Evolutionary origin of Lake Tana's (Ethiopia) small ''Barbus'' species: indications of rapid ecological divergence and speciation. '' Anim. Biol.'' 57(1): 39-48. (HTML abstract) * (2009):
2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
'. Version 2009.1. Retrieved 2009-SEP-20. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2193181 Taxa named by Eduard Rüppell Cyprinidae genera