Banarescu’s Barb

Diagnosis: Distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: two pairs of barbels; snout pointed; 64-77 lateral line scales; 12-14 rows of scales between lateral line and dorsal fin origin, 9-11 between lateral line and anal-fin origin; 12-16 gill rakers on first gill arch; shape of lower jaw not sexually dimorphic; head length 22.2-25.8% SL; depth of caudal peduncle 9.8-11.7% SL; head width at posterior margin of eye 49.4-58.2% HL; snout depth at nostril 29.7-35.I% HL; length of anterior barbel 12.4-20.8% HL and posterior barbel 18.4-28.8% HL (Ref. 57640).

Vertebrae: 45 - 46

Inhabits swift flowing water, with cobbles and pebbles bottom. In June 2004, temperature was 15-16°C, with dissolved oxugen 8.23 mg i-1, pH 7.19, and conductivity 125 mS. Collected with Alburnoides bipunctatus, Barbus tauricus, and Oxynoemacheilus sp. Feeds mainly on zoo- and phytoplankton, some invertebrate, algae and other aquatic plants (Ref. 57640).

Inhabits swift flowing water, with cobbles and pebbles bottom. Feeds mainly on zoo- and phytoplankton, some invertebrate, algae and other aquatic plants. Reported to spawn between May and June in Çoruh. In stream Oltu, it reaches 40 cm FL, 838 g and 12 years; reaches sexual maturity at 2-3 years (Ref. 57640).

Capoeta banarescui. the Colchic scraper or Banarescu's barb, is a species of cyprinid fish known from Turkey. It inhabits swiftly flowing water with cobbles and pebbles bottom.

It is only known from northeast Turkey from the Çoruh River system, which drains through Georgia to the Black Sea. It was distinguished from Capoeta tinca (the Anatolian khramulya) as an independent species in 2006.