Red garra

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. This small fish typically is up to about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in total length, but locally individuals can reach as much as 24 cm (9.5 in).

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
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
  • Discognathus lamta
    non Hamilton 1822
  • Discognathus obtusus
    Heckel 1843
  • Discognathus rufus
    Heckel 1843
  • Garra lamta
    non Hamilton 1822
  • Garra rufa crenulata
    Heckel 1844

In the wild, Garra rufa feed on detritus, algae and tiny animals (arthropods and zooplankton). 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, 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.

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