Red garra
Species of fish / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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]
Red garra | |
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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 | |
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.