Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Clariidae (Airbreathing catfishes)
Etymology: Bathyclarias: Greek, bathys = deep + Latin, clarias, -a, -um = shining (Ref. 45335).
Issue
The species Bathyclarias ilesi Jackson, 1959, Bathyclarias loweae Jackson, 1959, and Dinotopterus jacksoni Greenwood, 1961 are considered valid in Eschmeyer (CofF ver. Mar. 2011: Ref. 86697) following Ferraris (2007: Ref. 58032), and Seegers (2008: Ref. 78218). These are treated here as synonyms of Bathyclarias nyasensis following Snoeks (2004: Ref. 55909).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; depth range 20 - 90 m (Ref. 4967). Tropical; 9°S - 15°S
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 100.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Occurs in open water and mainly filters zooplankton. Also feeds on small fishes and insect larvae (Ref. 5595). Forms groups when feeding on plankton and insect larvae (Ref. 5595). Sometimes feeds at the surface (Ref. 4967). It feeds on other fishes, but grain, insects (e.g. Corethra edulis) and small crustaceans have also been found in stomach contents (Ref. 78218). A female was caught at Nkhata Bay at between 20 and 50 m of depth (Ref. 78218).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Anseaume, L. and G.G. Teugels, 1999. On the rehabilitation of the clariid catfish genus Bathyclarias endemic to the East African Rift Lake Malawi. J. Fish Biol. 55(2):405-419. (Ref. 33565)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00741 (0.00333 - 0.01648), b=2.97 (2.78 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.58 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High to very high vulnerability (73 of 100).