Binni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Binni |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Mesopotamichthys
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| Species: |
sharpeyi
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| Synonyms | |
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Barbus sharpeyi |
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The binni (Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi) is a type of fish that lives only in the Tigris–Euphrates Basin in the Middle East. This area includes parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Binni fish mostly live in lakes and marshlands. They especially like places with lots of plants, where they also lay their eggs. Sometimes, they move into rivers.
The binni is the only fish in its group, called a genus. In the past, it was placed in a larger, more general group called Barbus. Sadly, the number of binni fish has gone down a lot recently. This is mainly because their homes (habitats) are being lost and too many are being caught by fishing.
About the Binni Fish
The binni is a long fish, but it has a deep body for a fish of its kind. Its body is mostly brownish-golden, with a lighter belly. Its fins are darker. This fish can grow up to about 56 centimeters (22 inches) long. It can also weigh up to 4 kilograms (9 pounds).
Male and female binni fish look similar. However, females usually grow to be larger than males. Binni fish become old enough to have babies when they are two to four years old. They can live for up to nine years.
What Do Binni Fish Eat?
Binni fish eat mostly plants. Their diet includes tiny floating plants called phytoplankton. They also eat algae and larger water plants. Sometimes, tiny animal bits are found in their stomachs. But these are probably eaten by accident while the fish are munching on plants.
Binni Fish and People
In the local Iraqi Arabic language, this fish is called binni or bunni. It is very important to the Marsh Arabs, who are people living in the marshlands. Their fishermen have traditional ways of catching these fish. They might use spears from a line of boats. They also use nets, which became more common after the 1960s.
The binni fish used to be very important for fishing in Iraq. However, the number of fish in the marshlands dropped a lot. This happened after the draining of the Mesopotamian Marshes. This was when large parts of the marshlands were dried up.
Umm al Binni Lake
There is a lake in Iraq called Umm al Binni Lake. It is in the Maysan Governorate. This lake was named after the binni fish. "Umm" means "mother" in Arabic. The name shows that this lake once had many binni fish. It might have even been a place where they went to lay their eggs.
Today, most of Umm al Binni Lake has dried up. This happened after the Central Marshes were drained. The lake is also interesting because some people think it might be a meteorite impact crater. This crater is even mentioned in the ancient story of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
