Head to head
Gudgeon vs Barbel
Gudgeon
VS Barbel
The gudgeon and the barbel are both whiskered members of the carp family that feel for food along the gravelly beds of European rivers, but one is a few centimetres long and the other a river giant.
| Gudgeon | Barbel | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Gobio gobio | Barbus barbus |
| Relationship | A fellow member of the carp family and a fellow bottom feeder | A fellow member of the carp family and a fellow bottom feeder |
| Barbels | A pair of short, sensitive barbels at the corners of its mouth | Four sensitive, whisker-like barbels around its mouth |
| Size | Usually around 10 to 15 cm long, and rarely more than 20 cm | A long, powerful fish that reaches several kilograms |
| Body | A rounded, slightly flattened body, olive-brown above and silvery below, with a row of dark blotches along the side | A long, rounded, torpedo-shaped body, golden-brown above and pale below |
| Diet | Insect larvae, small crustaceans, snails, and worms picked from the sand and gravel | Insect larvae, shrimps, snails, and small fish rooted along the river bed, and sometimes plant material |
| Role | Eaten by larger fish and by birds, and long used as a bait fish | A favourite of anglers because of its strength when hooked, though its eggs are poisonous to humans |
| Habitat and range | Clean rivers and some lakes across Europe and northern Asia, in shoals over sand and gravel | Clean, fast, gravel-bottomed rivers of western and central Europe, rare where rivers are polluted or dammed |
Gudgeon vs Barbel: common questions
How many whiskers does each have?
The gudgeon has a pair of barbels at the corners of its mouth, while the barbel has four barbels around its mouth.
Which one grows larger?
The barbel, a long, powerful fish that reaches several kilograms, while the gudgeon is usually only 10 to 15 cm long.
What are the whiskers for?
Both use their sensitive barbels to taste and feel for food on the bottom, which helps them find animals buried in sand and gravel.