Barbatula barbatula
FAMILY
Balitoridae
TAXONOMY
Cobitis barbatula Linnaeus, 1758, Europe. May be the same species as Nemacheilus toni, the Siberian stone loach.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: European stone loach, groundling; French: Loche franche; German: Schmerle; Spanish: Gobio de río.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Maximum total length 8.3 in (21 cm); maximum weight 0.4 lb (200 g). Fishes in this species have an elongated, slender body that is somewhat flattened in the first half but laterally compressed in the second half. The species is characterized by three pairs of mouth barbels and no erectile spine below the eye.
DISTRIBUTION
Very common from Ireland (where it was introduced) throughout Europe (except in the Italian and Iberian peninsula), and Asia to China. There are reports of this species from Siberia and Japan, but the taxonomy of the specimens collected there is not clear.
HABITAT
Shallow, fast-flowing creeks with gravel bottoms, as well as in shallow areas of clear lakes.
BEHAVIOR
Usually swims near the bottom. Mostly active at dusk and night, shelters underneath rocks or burrows in sand.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on small crustaceans, insect larvae, and benthic invertebrates. They are fed upon by birds.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds from April to June, spawning more than once. Deposits eggs among rocks and aquatic plants.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
These fishes are sensitive to pollution and low oxygen levels, so their presence in a river can be taken as an indication of good water quality.
