A barb is one of various ray-finned fish species in a non-phylogenetic group, with members in the family Cyprinidae, and especially the genera Barbus and Puntius, but many others also. They were formerly united with the barbels in the subfamily Barbinae but that group is paraphyletic with the Cyprininae. If the Labeoninae are recognized as distinct, many small African "barbs" would probably, however, warrant recognition as a new subfamily. (2007): Evolutionary origin of Lake Tana's (Ethiopia) small Barbus species: indications of rapid ecological divergence and speciation. Anim. Biol. 57(1): 39-48.
The root of the word "barb" is common in cyprinid names of European languages, from the Latin barba ("beard") (COD): barb from Catalan barbi from Finnish barbo from Spanish barbeau from French barbo from Italian barbe from German and many others. This is in reference to the barbels which are prominently seen around the mouth of many "barbs". Genera
Genera that contain species with common names including "barb":
Amatolacypris – Border barb Balantiocheilos – burnt-tailed barb Barbichthys Barbodes Barboides Barbonymus – tinfoil barbs Barbopsis Barbus – typical barbels Caecobarbus Capoeta Carasobarbus Catlocarpio – Giant barb Coptostomabarbus Cyclocheilichthys Dawkinsia Desmopuntius Discherodontus Eechathalakenda Enteromius – African barbs Esomus – flying barbs Garra
Hypselobarbus Hypsibarbus Labeobarbus Labiobarbus Leptobarbus Luciobarbus (may belong in Barbus) Megarasbora Namaquacypris Osteochilus Paracapoeta Pethia Poropuntius Probarbus Puntigrus – tiger barbs Puntioplites Puntius Raiamas – trout barb Sahyadria Sawbwa – Sawbwa Barb Waikhomia – Khavli barb
See also Barbel (fish)
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