Barbel

This article is about fish. Barbel can also mean a submarine named for the fish: USS Barbel (SS-316), USS Barbel (SS-580) or the entire Barbel class of submarines.

A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp and the goatfish. 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.

Barbel is also the name of approximately 50 species of fresh-water fish in Europe. The English species, Barbus Barbus, is revered by sport fisherman. It is a large, powerful fish that requires clean, fast-flowing water.