| Family: |
Clariidae (Airbreathing catfishes) |
| Max. size: |
23 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
Africa: upper White Nile across Lake Victoria and lakes of Central African rift, and southwards to Lake Tanganyika and the Malagarasi drainage (Ref. 78218). Reported from Bahr el Jebel in South Sudan (Ref. 28714) and Rusizi River in Burundi (Ref. 98755). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 64-92; Anal soft rays: 64-79; Vertebrae: 58-62. Pectoral fin spine serrated on both inner and outer sides (Ref. 34290). Head pointed in dorsal outline; snout short and slightly rounded; eyes more dorsally located. Frontal fontanelle short and squat (`sole-shaped') or intermediate between `sole-shaped' and `knife-shaped'; occipital fontanelle long and oval-shaped. The `dermosphenotic' and supraorbital joined. Tooth plates small. gill rakers long, slender and distantly set. Suprabranchial organ well developed. Openings of secondary canals regularly arranged along flanks. |
| Biology: |
Found in lakes and rivers. Feeds mainly on insects, consisting of larval and adult aquatic Coleoptera, terrestrial insects, chironomid larvae and larvae of Povilla, culicines and hydroptilids; also feeds on ostracods, gastropods, plants, copepods and Hydracarina; nothing is known about reproduction (Ref. 248). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 October 2015 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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