Kangal fish can be called “biting fish” because they like to eat dead skin.
Kangal fish are fish that have adapted to the warm, mineral-rich environment of water in springs located in parts of Turkey and western Asia. These natural fish often appear in outdoor spa pools, when an interesting feature of the fish was noted: these fish like to eat dead or diseased skin, offering a natural debridement for anyone who wants to jump into the water with the fish.
Fish therapy may be beneficial for people suffering from psoriasis.
These fish are also known as medical fish or biting fish. Two different species of fish appear to have developed skin-eating behaviour: Cyprinion mactrostomus and Garra rufa. Of the two, G. rufa appears to be the better known. In Turkey, Kangal fish are protected due to concerns that overfishing of fish for foreign trade may threaten the health of fish stocks.
Although the relationship between bathers and Kangal fish probably started out as a novelty, it has since become quite profitable commercially. Spas in Turkey, Japan and the United States offer Kangal fish treatments to clients at a premium price, sometimes as part of spa packages geared toward people with skin conditions like psoriasis.
These fish are not harmful because they do not eat living tissue. The warm mineralized water softens the skin, making it easier for the fish to nibble away dead skin, leaving skin healthy and alive. For people with painful skin conditions, biting into fish can provide temporary relief, especially if treatments are repeated regularly. Others simply enjoy the novelty of a Kangal pedicure or full body scrub.
In an environment with a variety of foods to choose from, Kangal fish often prefer food to dead skin. Skin-eating behavior likely arose in response to the minimal resources available, forcing the fish to be creative in their search for nutrition. Several other fish species exhibit this behavior under stressful conditions, suggesting that the fish simply recognize a potential source of sustenance when they see one.
Apart from being kept in spas, these fish can also be kept in private aquariums. They can be a bit tricky to breed because they require water with the right balance of minerals and the right temperature. Several companies breed Kangal fish for sale to private collectors and spas.