Three-point barb
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Three-point barb ( Enteromius trispilos ) |
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| Enteromius trispilos | ||||||||||||
| ( Bleeker , 1863) |
The three-point barbel ( Enteromius trispilos , syn .: Barbus trispilos , Greek : τρι- tri- "three-", σπίλος spilos "spot") is a small- sized freshwater fish from West Africa. Their distribution area includes the rivers of the coastal plain in Ghana west of the Volta and from the Ivory Coast to Guinea .
features
The three-point barb is 8 to a maximum of 10.5 centimeters long. It has an elongated, laterally flattened body, which is from olive-green to olive-brown basic color and shimmers silvery. The back is darker, the belly yellowish or slightly reddish. On the sides of the body there are three round, deep black spots, the first on the seventh and eighth scales of the central longitudinal row, the second below the rear end of the dorsal fin and the third on the tail fin stalk. The scales along the full side line have a brown spot at the base. The fins are delicate golden yellow or (less often) reddish. Females are strongly built, their fins yellow. Males are much slimmer, their fins are reddish. The head is pointed, the pores of the lateral line system on the head are clearly visible. Three-point barbs have two pairs of barbels , the front one extends to the rear half of the eye, the rear one extends behind the eye.
- Fin formula : dorsal 3/8, anal 3/5, pectoral 15–16.
- Scale formula : mLR 25–28.
The similar West African barbel species Enteromius anniae has a larger head, a longer dorsal fin and smaller spots on the sides of the body, Enteromius tiekoroi has a longer head, a shorter dorsal fin and colored fins. The Enteromius traorei , which lives sympathetically with the three-point barb, has shorter barbels and only 3.5 rows of scales below the sideline.
The three-point barbel is adaptable and lives in both calm and fast-flowing waters.
literature
- Günther Sterba : Freshwater fish of the world , Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89350-991-7 .
Web links
- Three-point barb on Fishbase.org (English)
- Enteromius trispilos inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: Olaosebikan, BD, 2006. Retrieved December 15, 2013.