Kuban Barbel

The only species of Barbus in Kuban drainage which can be diagnosed from its congeners in Black Sea basin by the following characters: lower lip thick, with a pendulous median lobe; tip of dorsal slightly pointed; posterior margin of dorsal straight or slightly concave; last simple dorsal ray spinous, strong, with serrae along almost entire ray; epithelial crests on scales; 56-69 scales on lateral line; pelvic origin about below dorsal origin (Ref. 59043).

Inhabits mountain and piedmont streams, with strong current, sand, gravel or rock bottom. Less abundant in lowland stretches and estuary. Larvae and small juveniles feed predominantly on chironomids and algae while larger juvenile and adults prey on a variety of benthic invertebrates and small fish. Spawns on gravel bottom. Widely distributed and abundant, but rare in lower Kuban since construction of Krasnodar dam (Ref. 59043).

The Kuban barbel (Barbus kubanicus) is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in the Kuban River to the Sea of Azov.