Yellow barb

Yellow barb
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Barbus
Species: B. manicensis
Binomial name
Barbus manicensis
Pellegrin, 1919[2]

Yellow barb (Barbus manicensis) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Barbus.

Description

The yellow barb is a stout bodied, plain, silvery fish with a yellow tinge and large scales, there are 22-25 scales along the lateral line and 12 around the caudal peduncle. It has two pairs of barbs around the mouth. It reaches a length of 150 mm (5.9 in) SL.[3]

Habitat

Yellow barbs are found in streams in the upper catchment of river basins, usually with rocky stream beds.[1]

Distribution

The yellow barb is widely distributed in the Buzi River system headwaters. Possibly in the adjacent Pungwe River system. It is native to eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique.[1] Records of this species from the upper Zambezi, Kafue and Zambian Congo are unconfirmed.[2]

Status and conservation

Populations of the yellow barb are threatened by poisoning of upper catchments by subsistence fishermen and by high sedimentation amd mercury pollution caused by gold exploration.[1]

Taxonomic notes

Two similar barbs have been described from the within the stated range of the yellow barb and there is some confusion. The type specimens of both weren examined, confirming that there were two species which differed significantly in size and other features. Further study is needed so that an assessment of the comparative distributions of the yellow barb and Barbus hondeensis can be made. At present the yellow barb is known from the Buzi River system and B. hondeesis is known from the Pungwe River system.[1] Like other sub-saharan species in the genus "Barbus" sensu lato this species may have to be reallocated away from the genus Barbus sensu stricto.[4] probably to the genus Enteromius.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Barbus manicensis (Yellow Barb)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 <"Barbus manicensis Pellegrin, 1919 Yellow barb". fishbase. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  3. Skelton, Paul (2001). A Complete Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Stuik. p. 163. ISBN 1-8687-2643-6.
  4. Yang, L.; Sado, T.; Vincent Hirt, M.; Pasco-Viel, E.; Arunachalam, M.; Li, J.; Wang, X.; Freyhof, J.; Saitoh, K.; Simons, A.M.; Miya, M.; He, S.; Mayden, R.L. (2015). "Phylogeny and polyploidy: resolving the classification of cyprinine fishes (Teleostei: Cypriniformes)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 85: 97–116.
  5. "CAS » IBSS (Research) » Ichthyology » Catalog of Fishes manicensis, Barbus Pellegrin". Fish catalog. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
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