Barbel steed

The Barbel Steed is a relatively common grey fish found in all versions of. It is found in the river all day and all year round. It is an inexpensive fish, as it sells for 200 Bells. Its shadow size is between small-medium, the same size as a Carp.

In the fish list it is the fifth fish in all the games.

Donating to the Museum
As with all fish caught in, the barbel steed can be donated to the museum in each game by talking to Blathers, who will also give some information on it.

In Animal Crossing
Upon donation, Blathers the curator will say:

"Even run-of-the-mill, common fish are valuable resources, you see. All part of the grand tapestry, wot! We will take excellent care of this fellow, oh yes. You can rest assured. Excellent care, indeed."

In Wild World
Upon donation, Blathers the curator will say:

"This might look like a carp, but I heard it doesn't taste like one, eh wot? Indeed, I should think this fish is more suited to catching than to eating."

It will go into the first tank.

In City Folk
Upon donation, Blathers the curator will say:

"While barbel steeds have many of the same features as carp, they're a bit less exciting, to my mind. For example, both have whiskers, wot? Yet the barbel steed's are just a hair shorter... It's rather like a fan doing an imitation of his or her favorite actor, or something to that effect."

It can be found in the middle-left tank in the aquarium, in the museum.

In New Leaf
In New Leaf, an information board in the aquarium will list information about this fish.

"Barbel steeds have a longer distance between their eyes and mouths than carp do. This makes them look almost like they're averting their eyes downward in embarrassment. Their whiskers aren't as long as carp whiskers, so the resemblance is still only minor. They are full of bones, but they're edible nonetheless and actually taste similar to flounder."

Further Information
The Hemibarbus labeo or Barbel Steed (better known as the Barbel) is a harmless fish that lives in the rocky, fast flowing bottoms of rivers. It is largely carp-like in appearance. The name 'barbel' is derived from the Latin Barba, meaning beard which is a reference to the two pairs of barbs by its mouth. There are different types of Barbels scattered across the world, and can be seen in Europe, Asia and Africa. The Barbel Steed in Animal Crossing however, is an Asian fish, found in the Amur basin where it is locally referred to as the Amur barbel.