This article is about the freshwater fish used for treating skin diseases. For the species sometimes called "doctor fish" in the UK, see Tench. For the fish known as the "surgeonfish", see Acanthuridae. For people known as "Dr. Fish", see Fish (surname).
Red garra
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Cypriniformes
Family:
Cyprinidae
Subfamily:
Labeoninae
Genus:
Garra
Species:
G. rufa
Binomial name
Garra rufa
(Heckel, 1843)
Synonyms
Discognathus crenulatus Heckel 1846–49[2]
Discognathus lamta non Hamilton 1822[2]
Discognathus obtusus Heckel 1843[2]
Discognathus rufus Heckel 1843[2]
Garra lamta non Hamilton 1822[2]
Garra rufa crenulata Heckel 1844[2][3]
The red garra (Garra rufa), also known as the doctor fish or nibble fish, is a species of cyprinid that is native to a wide range of freshwater habitats in subtropical parts of Western Asia.[4] This small fish typically is up to about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in total length,[4] but locally individuals can reach as much as 24 cm (9.5 in).[5]
In the wild, Garra rufa feed on detritus, algae and tiny animals (arthropods and other zooplankton).[5] Since the early 21st century, this fish has been integrated into a spa treatment where they feed on the stratum corneum skin layer of patients with psoriasis. While the doctor fish treatment has been found to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis,[6] the treatment is not curative, and no cure for psoriasis currently exists. The use of the fish as a spa treatment for the wider public is still widely debated on grounds of efficacy and validity.
^Freyhof, J. (2014). "Garra rufa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T19086922A19223063.
^"Search Results for: Garra rufa". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
^ abFroese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Garra rufa" in FishBase. August 2016 version.
^ abCoad, B.W. (14 November 2016). "Cyprinidae: Garra to Vimba". Freshwater Fishes of Iran. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
^"A medical study conducted by Martin Grassberger and Werner Hoch of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, reported that exfoliation by doctor fish, Garra rufa, native to the hot springs at Kanghal, Turkey, when used in combination with ultraviolet (UV) light can clear the appearance of psoriasis. The treatment kept symptoms at bay for about eight months." Source: New Scientist. 7/14/2007, Vol. 195, Issue 2612, p. 52.
The redgarra (Garra rufa), also known as the doctor fish or nibble fish, is a species of cyprinid that is native to a wide range of freshwater habitats...
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