Barbel (anatomy)

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This koi carp has two pairs of barbels, the second pair being quite small.

This Asian arowana has large, protuding barbels

A barbel on a fish (or turtle) is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish and some species of shark. They house the taste buds of such fish and are used to search for food in murky water.

Barbels are often erroneously referred to as 'barbs', which are found in bird feathers for flight.

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