Stone Loach
Barbatula barbatula
- Class
- Ray-finned fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 672
- Most observed in
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The stone loach (Barbatula barbatula) is a European species of fresh water ray-finned fish in the family Nemacheilidae. It is one of 33 species in the genus Barbatula. Stone loaches live amongst the gravel and stones of fast flowing water where they can search for food. The most distinctive feature of this small fish is the presence of barbels around the bottom jaw, which they use to detect their invertebrate prey. The body is a mixture of brown, green and yellow.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Stone loach”.