Herts’ rivers are home to amazing wildlife that is largely hidden to us. David Johnson, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s living rivers offier, outlines the life of a special fish at the centre of a conservation project
The barbel is a species of freshwater fish, whose name derives from barba, the Latin root for beard. It’s easy to see why – the fish has two pairs of ‘barbels’ – large whisker-like appendages around the jaw. These are touch and taste sensitive and used for finding invertebrates in the gravel bed of rivers. The barbel is a large species, usually up to 3kg but known to reach weights of 8.5kg. They are characterised by a large, broad head and an underslung mouth with thick lips, and of course, its four whiskers.
Barbel are found in the lower reaches of medium and large gravel-bottomed rivers and require clean, fast-flowing waters to survive. Hertfordshire’s river Lea is the perfect habitat. To help them thrive in these conditions, barbel have developed adaptations including a streamlined torpedo shaped body and strong powerful muscles that help them swim against the flow.
This story is from the April 2018 edition of Hertfordshire Life.
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This story is from the April 2018 edition of Hertfordshire Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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