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Mr and Mrs Barbel

I think I'm right in saying that female barbel are much bigger than the males. I think its rare to find males over 6 or 7lb, meaning all the doubles are females. Therefore, females must be longer.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong!
Adam
 
Yeah but you're of course assuming that ALL females exceed 6 - 7lbs:rolleyes:.

But yes normally females out grow males, like most fish species.
 
Thanks Chaps,

I may have been miss informed but i was under the belief that the british record carp from Conningbrook - 'Two Tone' is a male.

The reason i ask is that on the various rivers i've fished there are large fish that are easily recognised. Some fluctuate in weight throughout the season geneally getting heavier towards the end of the river season, i pressume these to be females, yet some stay roughly the same weight throughout the year, and i presumed these to be the males.?
 
If I told that mine I'd get a slap...I'm taller, she smaller; I'm lighter, she's .......

Not sure & dont quote me on this but I thought the biggest male carp caught is just under 40lb? Someone might be able to qualify...

Cheers, Jon
 
Jon,

Great question, apparently, reading the above it would be by the size.............;)

I would love to know the answer to that question......last year I was watching a group in spawning mode consisting of one really big barbel flanked by 2 around the 10lb mark and a few other smaller fish that didn't seem as if they were really getting a look in. I was told on here that the two 10lbers could not possibly be males as they don't grow bigger than 7lb!!
 
David Hall said:
in nature, females are always bigger than the males as a rule.
Click to expand...

Maybe in your world Dave! Doubt Mr Lion , Bull Elephant or even Mr Bull that tends to the cows on my local river would agree - or the Stags for that matter!

'tis my belief Mr Barbel grows as long - or there abouts as Mrs Barbel - never reaches the same pre spawning weights - but still as big! ;)
 
The Andelucia barbel in Spain.

The female's anal fin extends to cover the vent whereas the male's are shorter.

There was an article that mentioned it in an old Barbel Fisher by Simon Roffe who went over there on a John Bailey trip.

As for the size difference, I can't really help but they have been caught in the twenty to twenty five pounds region so I would assume that these big ones are all girlies and probably longer than the largest males.

Ray Walton may have some information on the subject. Why not pm him.
 
David Hall said:
in nature, females are always bigger than the males as a rule.
Click to expand...

That made me laugh.......:D

I'm with whoever it was who said they have the potential to grow to the same size though it is only a gut feeling.
It is a fact however that the females will be at their heaviest immediately prior to spawning as the eggs will be swollen with water prior to their release.

So far as I'm aware there is no reliable way to differentiate between males and females other than by observation near or during spawning.
 
thought that I had read somewhere that the traveller or red belly was a hermaphrodite. Sorry I think that I must hav swallowed a dictionary.
 
The slightly confusing bit for me is that not so many years ago 12lb was a big barbel and the experts said the males don't grow bigger than about 7 or 8lb, now the females gow to 19, 20, 21lb with 16s and 17s quite common..........

Surely by that logic males could now easilly grow to over 10lbs?? You would surely expect the very biggest males to be around 15lbs??

I can't believe that only females have grown/evolved...........
 
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