Lake Turkana barb (Barbus turkanae)

Scientific name: Barbus turkanae Hopson & Hopson, 1982

The Lake Turkana barb (Barbus turkanae) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. Native range: Africa, endemic to Lake Turkana.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5; Vertebrae: 31 - 32. Body somewhat compressed. Predorsal profile convex with a noticeable nuchal hump. Eyes inclined noticeably upwards. Mouth relatively small, subterminal. Barbels are absent. Last simple dorsal ray smooth and flexible. The tip of the pectoral fin is falling short of the pelvic-fin origin. Caudal peduncle relatively elongated, 1.4 to 1.7 times as long as deep. Scales radially striated: 22-25 lateral-line scales, 3? scales between the lateral line and dorsal-fin origin, 3? to 4? scales between lateral line and mid-ventral line in front of the pelvic-fin origin, 2 scales between the lateral line and pelvic-fin origin, and 9 to 10 scales around caudal peduncle. The color in living specimens is generally pale silvery, the caudal

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Barbus turkanae
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
4.2
Depth range
10 m (33 ft)
Environment
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range 10 - ? m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: endemic to Lake Turkana.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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