Luciobarbus

Luciobarbus is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Cyprinidae. Its members are found in fresh and brackish waters of southern Europe, northern Africa, the wider Near East, the Aral and Caspian Seas, and rivers associated with these. Several species in the genus are threatened. Most species are fairly small to medium-sized cyprinids, but the genus also includes several members that can surpass 1 m in length and the largest, the mangar (L. esocinus) can reach 2.3 m.

Systematics
The type species is Luciobarbus esocinus, for which the genus was established by Heckel in 1843. The scientific name essentially means "pike-barbel" (after the northern pike, Esox lucius).

Like many other cyprinids, the present genus was long included in Barbus. It appears to be a very close relative of the typical barbels – which include that genus type species, Barbus barbus –, and may well warrant inclusion in Barbus. Many modern authors prefer to consider it a subgenus instead. It is, moreover, not entirely clear what species to place in Luciobarbus if it is deemed valid. The IUCN argues for a rather inclusive circumscription. Nonwithstanding the taxonomy and systematics of this ill-defined assemblage, their closest living relative is probably Aulopyge huegelii.

Species
The species in this genus:
 * Luciobarbus albanicus (Steindachner, 1870) (Albanian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus barbulus Heckel, 1847
 * Luciobarbus biscarensis Boulenger, 1911
 * Luciobarbus bocagei (Steindachner, 1864) (Iberian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus brachycephalus (Kessler, 1872) (Aral barbel)
 * Luciobarbus callensis Valenciennes, 1842 (Algerian barb)
 * Luciobarbus capito (Güldenstädt, 1773) (Bulatmai barbel)
 * Luciobarbus caspius (L. S. Berg, 1914) (Caspian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus chelifensis Brahimi, Freyhof, Henrard & Libois, 2017
 * Luciobarbus comizo (Steindachner, 1864) (Comizo barbel)
 * Luciobarbus escherichii (Steindachner, 1897) (Ankara barbel)
 * Luciobarbus esocinus Heckel, 1843 (Mangar)
 * Luciobarbus graecus Steindachner, 1896
 * Luciobarbus graellsii (Steindachner, 1866)
 * Luciobarbus guercifensis Doadrio, Perea & Yahyahoui, 2016 (Guercif barbel)
 * Luciobarbus guiraonis (Steindachner, 1866)
 * Luciobarbus kersin (Heckel, 1843) (Kersin barbel)
 * Luciobarbus kottelati Turan, Ekmekçi, İlhan & Engin, 2008 (Menderes barbel)
 * Luciobarbus lanigarensis Brahimi, Libois, Henrard & Freyhof, 2018
 * Luciobarbus leptopogon G. H. W. Schimper, 1834
 * Luciobarbus longiceps Valenciennes, 1842 (Jordan barbel)
 * Luciobarbus lydianus (Boulenger, 1896) (Lydian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus maghrebensis Doadrio, Perea & Yahyaoui, 2015 (Maghreb barbel)
 * Luciobarbus magniatlantis (Pellegrin, 1919)
 * Luciobarbus microcephalus (Almaça (pt), 1967)
 * Luciobarbus mursa (Güldenstädt, 1773) (Mursa)
 * Luciobarbus mystaceus (Pallas, 1814) (Euphrates barbel)
 * Luciobarbus nasus Günther, 1874 )
 * Luciobarbus pallaryi Pellegrin, 1919
 * Luciobarbus pectoralis (Heckel, 1843) (Heckel’s Orontes barbel)
 * Luciobarbus rabatensis Doadrio, Perea & Yahyaoui, 2015 (Rabat barbel)
 * Luciobarbus rifensis Doadrio, Casal-Lopez & Yahyaoui, 2015 (Rifian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus sclateri (Günther, 1868) (Andalusian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus setivimensis Valenciennes, 1842
 * Luciobarbus steindachneri (Almaça (pt), 1967)
 * Luciobarbus subquincunciatus (Günther, 1868) (Mesopotamian barbel)
 * Luciobarbus xanthopterus Heckel, 1843 (Yellowfin barbel)
 * Luciobarbus yahyaouii Doadrio, Casal-Lopez & Perea, 2016 (Yahyaoui barbel)
 * Luciobarbus zayanensis Doadrio, Casal-Lopez & Perea, 2016 (Zayan barbel)