This large barbel is endemic to Spain, where it is known as barbo mediterraneo. This literally means "Mediterranean Barbel" in English, but that common name is usually applied to the closely related Barbus meridionalis, of whose scientific name it is an equivalent.[3]
It is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN and its numbers will probably decrease by about one-third until 2020. The main cause of its decline is unsustainable use of water resources, such as water pollution, extraction for agriculture and damming. Certain planned damming projects are likely to severely impact the species' stocks. Introduced exotic fishes pose an additional problem.[1]
Almodóvar, Ana; Nicola, Graciela G. & Elvira, Benigno (2008): Natural hybridization of Barbus bocagei x Barbus comizo (Cyprinidae) in Tagus River basin, central Spain [English with French abstract]. Cybium32(2): 99-102. PDF fulltext
de Graaf, Martin; Megens, Hendrik-Jan; Samallo, Johannis & Sibbing, Ferdinand A. (2007): Evolutionary origin of Lake Tana's (Ethiopia) small Barbus species: indications of rapid ecological divergence and speciation. Anim. Biol.57(1): 39–48. doi:10.1163/157075607780002069 (HTML abstract)