Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Clariidae (Airbreathing catfishes)
Etymology: Clarias: Greek, chlaros = lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water.
More on author: Boulenger.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 3°N - 2°N
Africa: Nyong (Ref. 81644), Kribi and Lobi/Lobe (Ref. 248, 78218, 81644) in Cameroon, Ntem River in Cameroon (Ref. 248, 78218, 81644), Equatorial Guinea (Ref. 248, 78218) and Gabon (Ref. 81644), and the Ogooué in Gabon (Ref. 81644). Reports from the Sanaga and Dja in Cameroon (Ref. 51193) questionable and unconfirmed in Ref. 248 or 78218, but a collection point is present on the distribution map in Ref. 81644.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 22.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3820)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 74-85;
Anal
soft rays: 61 - 71;
Vertebrae: 60 - 63. Diagnosis: body extremely elongate (depth 9.3-13.3% SL, mean 11.0); 9-12 rakers on first gill arch (Ref. 81644). Head rounded in dorsal outline (Ref. 248), rather short (HL 18.3-22.8% SL, mean 20.2) and wide (width 14.1-17.0% SL, mean 15.4)(Ref. 81644). Snout broadly rounded (Ref. 248). Eyes small and laterally placed (Ref. 248). Interorbital width large (45.4-50.7% HL, mean 47.7)(Ref. 81644). Postorbital margin not entirely covered with bone; frontal fontanelle long and narrow; occipital fontanelle long and oval-shaped; supra-orbital and "dermosphenotic" bones separated; tooth plates relatively broad; pectoral spine straight (Ref. 248). Pectoral spine slightly serrate on its anterior face, with serrations downward oriented (Ref. 248, 81644). Gill rakers relatively long and distantly set; suprabranchial organ well developed (Ref. 248). Openings of secondary sensory canals show a regular pattern (Ref. 248, 81644).
Coloration: preserved specimens with uniform colouration; back, flanks and upper parts of paired fins dark brown to reddish brown; ventrum and lower parts of paired fins pale brown to beige (Ref. 81644).
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Practically nothing is known about the biology of this species (Ref. 78218).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Teugels, G.G., 1986. A systematic revision of the African species of the genus Clarias (Pisces; Clariidae). Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 247:199 p. (Ref. 248)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningSpawning aggregationFecundityEggsEgg development
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundanceBRUVS
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsElectrophoresesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00776 (0.00343 - 0.01757), b=2.97 (2.79 - 3.15), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (13 of 100).
