Luciobarbus callensis is a freshwater BENTHOPELAGIC fish that is naturally found in north-west Africa, being widespread from Tunisia to the Kebir River drainage in eastern Algeria. It is a subtropical barb inhabiting lentic aquatic ecosystems, but also running waters, thus including lakes, estuaries, but also rivers, with a high adaptability to some artificial systems. This species has adapted to life in the littoral of reservoirs and is considered a species of Least Concern by IUCN. L. callensis is an important cyprinid species for aquaculture purposes worldwide due to its abundance, availability all year round, tasteful flesh, and economic value. This barb is the basic catch of local fisheries in areas from north Algeria, being an important source of protein for the inhabitants of rural communities both in Algeria and Tunisia. Despite that, important wild information about this barb to better evaluate its welfare in captivity is still missing, like home range use, depth range use, and natural aggregation patterns. Furthermore, almost no farming information specifically about this species is available, making it difficult to assess and improve its welfare in farms.
