Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.
Barbel (Barbus barbus) is a freshwater fish native to Europe and China. It has been used as a commercial food source, a sport fish, and in commercial aquaria. B. barbus eggs are toxic. It is afflicted by many parasites and pathogens. The history of invasiveness is high. B. barbus has been introduced as a game fish and for aquaculture into areas of England, Italy, and Morocco outside of its native range. It is established in Morocco, and outside its native range in Italy and the United Kingdom. B. barbus negatively impacts native species of Barbus in the areas where it has been introduced. In 2012, its presence was associated with reduced weight of the native Tiber barbel (Barbus tyberinus), and in 2017 it was documented as the cause for local extinction of the native B. tyberinus. B. barbus hybridizes with B. plebejus, and increased numbers of B. barbus reduces the likelihood of native B. plebejus occupying same habitat. The climate match for the United States is high, especially around the Great Lakes. The certainty of assessment is high. The overall risk assessment category is high.
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High Risk
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