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FISH GUIDE · Freshwater

Ebro barbel: identification, habitat and fishing guide

Luciobarbus graellsii

Iberian barbel inhabiting middle and lower river reaches.

Catalogue names : Ebro barbel. Forms and names may vary between habitats.

Editorial review : · This species guide is not permission to fish. Read the precautions below and check the current rules for your location before targeting a species. Some species or populations are protected.

Geographical distribution

Northern Spain and introductions in Italy. A French record from 2019 proves neither a persistent nor a native population.

  • Documented presence : Spanish drainages from the Ebro to the Ter and west to the Asón
  • Introduction : Fiora, Ombrone and Albegna in Italy
  • Documented presence : headwaters of the Irati in France, 2019 record

Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.

Distribution sources

Identification

Adult simple dorsal ray not serrated and lower lip without a median lobe; confirm with an identification key.

Habitat

Middle and lower reaches, with vegetation cover.

Diet

Invertebrates, plants and algae.

Behaviour

Moves upstream to gravel areas to spawn.

Fishing context and precautions

Glenn Delporte describes sight fishing for Ebro barbel with dry flies: prepare the landing net, locate a rise and then present a sedge or terrestrial. Check this Spanish example against venue rules.

A distinctive feature

It can host glochidia, the larvae of several bivalve species.

Sources and review

Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.

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