Mangar (fish)
The mangar (Luciobarbus esocinus), also called a pike barbel, is a ray-finned fish in the genus Luciobarbus found in the Tigris–Euphrates river system. In ancient times, there were drawings of Assyrians wearing mangar skin. It is one of the largest species of the Cyprinidae family, aside from the giant barb.
Etymology
The species name, esocinus, means "pike-like wolf-barbel" (named after the northern pike).
Description
Physical appearance
The mangar looks like a pike in appearance. The body is covered with small scales. The mouth has no teeth. It has a big head, one dorsal fin, and a pair of pectoral and ventral fins.
Where it lives
It lives in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Adults move to larger rivers
What it eats
Mangars eat many animals, from zooplankton and invertebrates to fish and birds.
Conservation
The mangar is classified as Vulnerable due to overfishing and habitat loss. Most places are overfished with mangars; however, some areas still show relevant numbers.
Related pages
References
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2017). "Luciobarbus esocinus" in FishBase. 2017 version.
Other websites
- Data related to Mangar on Wikidata