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Clarias gariepinus

(North African catfish)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Afrikaans:

Mangwana, Ndombe-Mbundamusheke, Skerptand-baber, Skerptandbaber

Common Names in Amharic:

Ambaza

Common Names in Arabic:

Abu shanab, Balbout, Garmut, Karmut

Common Names in Bemba:

Mulonge, Muta

Common Names in Czech:

Ker, Keríckovec jihoafrický

Common Names in Danish:

Afrikansk , Afrikansk ålemalle

Common Names in Dinka:

Attek, Cik

Common Names in Dinka, North:

Attek

Common Names in Dinka, Northeastern:

Attek, Cik

Common Names in Dutch:

Afrikaanse meerval

Common Names in El Molo:

Lokate

Common Names in English:

African catfish, Barbel, Catfish, Common catfish, Male, Mudfish, North African catfish, Pet cick, Pet der, Sharptooth catfish, Sharptoothed catfish

Common Names in Fang:

Andouma

Common Names in Finnish:

Jättikonnamonni

Common Names in French:

Poisson-chat nord-africain, Silure

Common Names in Fula:

Baleewu

Common Names in Fulfulde, Pulaar:

Baleewu

Common Names in German:

Aalb, Aalbüschelwels, Afrikanischer Raubwels, Afrikanischer Vielstachler, Afrikanischer Wels, Kiemensackwels, Wels, Welse

Common Names in Greek:

Klarias, Κλαρίας

Common Names in Greek, Modern (1453):

Klarias, Κλαρίας

Common Names in Hausa:

Tarwada

Common Names in Hebrew:

Sfamnun matzui

Common Names in Igbo:

Arira

Common Names in Ijo:

Imunu

Common Names in Japanese:

Namazu

Common Names in Kanuri:

Kemudu

Common Names in Khmer:

Trey andaing afrik

Common Names in Kim:

Gol, Gwol, Vere, Vering

Common Names in Konjo:

Eyisombi

Common Names in Krio:

Harlei, T-nima, Thamba

Common Names in Luo:

Dera, Ongala

Common Names in Luo (Kenya and Tanzania):

Dera, Ongala

Common Names in Lwena:

Mburi

Common Names in Malayalam:

African mushi, ആഫ്റിക്കന് മുഷി

Common Names in Mandarin Chinese:

大棘胡鲶, 大棘鬍鯰, 尖齒鬍鯰(引進), 尖齿胡鲶(引进), 革胡鲶, 革鬍鯰

Common Names in Meru:

Macharufu

Common Names in Nuer:

Pet cick, Pet der

Common Names in Nupe:

Ejengi

Common Names in Nyanja:

Bombe, Bomu, Mlamba

Common Names in Oromo:

Ambaazaa

Common Names in Other:

Inkube, Ishonzi, Isombi, Kabambare, Kamongo, Kopito, Kor, Male, Mumi, Ndombe, Obito, Singre, Singri, Sombi, Umihenzi

Common Names in Pokomo:

Nisu

Common Names in Polish:

Stawada

Common Names in Portuguese:

Bagre-Africano

Common Names in Russian:

Yuzhnoafrikanskaya zubatka

Common Names in Samburu:

Kopito

Common Names in Sena:

Nsomba

Common Names in Shilluk:

Cogo

Common Names in Soninke:

Talage

Common Names in Spanish:

Norte, Pez gato, Pez-gato

Common Names in Swahili:

Kambale, Kambale Mumi, Kambali, Mlamba, Mumi

Common Names in Swedish:

Afrikansk Vandrarmal

Common Names in Tonga:

Bomu, Bwituka, Chibomu

Common Names in Tongan:

Bomu, Bwituka, Chibomu

Common Names in Tumbuka:

Bomu, Chibomu

Common Names in Turkana:

Singre

Common Names in Venda:

Bavhuri

Common Names in Vietnamese:

Cá Trê Phi

Common Names in Wolof:

Bambara, Toucouleurs, Yess

Common Names in Yao:

Bombe

Common Names in Yoruba:

Aro

Common Names in Zande:

Tukpe

Description

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Physical Description

Species Clarias gariepinus

Males are commonly 90 cm in length when caught/marketed, but may be as large as 170 cm (Total Length).

Habitat

Occurs mainly in quiet waters, lakes and pools but may also occur in fast flowing rivers and in rapids [1]. During intra-specific aggressive interactions , this species was noted to generate electric organ discharges that were monophasic, head-positive and lasting from 5-260 ms [2]. May be found at depths of 4 to 80 meters.

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,282 meters (0 to 7,487 feet).[3]

Biome: Marine .

Biology

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Diet

A bottom feeder which occasionally feeds at the surface[1]. Forages at night on a wide variety of prey [4]. Feeds on insects, plankton , invertebrates and fish but also takes young birds, rotting flesh and plants [5].

Behavior

Widely tolerant of extreme environmental conditions . The presence of an accessory breathing organ enables this species to breath air when very active or under very dry conditions. Remains in the muddy substrates of ponds and occasionally gulp air through the mouth (Ref. 6465). Can leave the water at night using its strong pectoral fins and spines in search of land-based food or can move into the breeding areas through very shallow pathways[4].

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Clarias capensis Valenciennes • Clarias depressus Myers • Clarias gariepinus • Clarias guentheri Pfeffer • Clarias lazera Valenciennes • Clarias longiceps Boulenger • Clarias macracanthus Günther • Clarias malaris Nichols & Griscom • Clarias microphthalmus Pfeffer • Clarias micropthalmus Pfeffer • Clarias moorii Boulenger • Clarias mossambicus Peters • Clarias muelleri Pietschmann • Clarias notozygurus Lönnberg & Rendahl • Clarias orontis Günther • Clarias robecchii Vinciguerra • Clarias smithii Günther • Clarias syriacus Valenciennes • Clarias tsanensis Boulenger • Clarias vinciguerrae Boulenger • Clarias xenodon Günther • Clarius gariepinus • Clarius gariepinus (Burchell • Clarius gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) • Heterobranchus anguillaris (Non Linnaeus • Macropteronotus anguillaris (Non Linnaeus • Macropteronotus charmuth Lacepède • Silurus anguillaris (Non Linnaeus • Silurus gariepinus • Silurus gariepinus Burchell • Silurus gariepinus Burchell, 1822

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

First described: Burchell Trav. S. Afr. 1, 1822.

Last scrutiny: Data last modified by FishBase 11-Feb-1994

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Clarias

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 28 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. agboyiensis (Mudfish) · C. alluaudi (Allauad's Catfish) · C. anguillaris (Eel Catfish) · C. batrachus (Toyman's Spotted Catfish) · C. brachysoma (Walking Catfish) · C. cavernicola (Cave Catfish) · C. dayi (Malabar Clariid) · C. duchaillui (Lake Victoria Deepwater Catfish) · C. dussumieri (Valencienne's Clarid) · C. dussumieri dussumieri (Valenciennes Clariid) · C. fuscus (Whitespotted Freshwater Catfish) · C. gariepinus (North African Catfish) · C. jaensis (Catfish) · C. laeviceps (Ll) · C. laeviceps laeviceps (Catfish) · C. liocephalus (Smooth-Head Catfish) · C. macrocephalus (Freshwater Catfish) · C. magur (Wagur) · C. meladerma (Blackskin Catfish) · C. moorii (Blunt-Toothed African Catfish) · C. ngamensis (Blunt-Toothed African Catfish (FB)) · C. smithii (Blotched Catfish) · C. stappersii (Blotched Catfish) · C. submarginatus (Blotched Catfish) · C. teijsmanni (Teysmann's Spotted Catfish) · C. theodora (North African Catfish) · C. theodorae (Snake Catfish (FB)) · C. werneri (Werner´s Catfish)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 05, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. 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. [back]
  2. Baron, V.D., A.A. Orlov and A.S. Golubtsov (1994). African Clarias catfish elicits long-lasting weak electric pulses. Experientia 50:644-647. [back]
  3. Mean = 760.510 meters (2,495.112 feet), Standard Deviation = 543.390 based on 601 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
  4. Burgess, W.E. (1989). An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes: a preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. [back]
  5. de Moor, I.J. and M.N. Bruton (1988). Atlas of alien and translocated indigenous aquatic animals in southern Africa. A report of the Committee for Nature Conservation Research National Programme for Ecosystem Research. South African Scientific Program ... [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012