Bayad

📖 Overview

Found in lakes, swamps and rivers . Avoids salt water . Spends nearly the whole of the daylight hours in crevices of rocks and is therefor seldom seen . Lives and feeds on or near the bottom . Adults exclusively piscivorous . Preys on small fish, particularly Alestes spp. , or Chrysichthys auratus as in Lake Kainji , but also feeds on insects, crustaceans and molluscs (some debris and vegetable matter may also be ingested) . Efficiency of catching prey catfish is maximised by face to face attack, avoiding damage by dorsal and pectoral spines of the prey . There is some indication that the species comes to shallower water to breed . Spawning season extends from April to July . Parents build and guard the nest, which is like a flat disc with a central hole where the eggs are dropped; size of the nest and the central hole depend on the fish size . Males become up to 7 years old, females 8 years . Mean sizes and weight of males are less than those of females from the same age . An important food fish. Flesh is good eating and of economic importance , commonly sold as food . Reputed to reach 100,000 g.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 15; Vertebrae: 48 - 53. Diagnosis: head much depressed, often ridged , roundly pointed when viewed from above . Head width 1.6-2.2 times in head length or 47.5-63% HL . Body rather elongate, 5-6 times longer than deep . Premaxillary tooth plate 6-7 times as long as broad, a little shorter than the vomerine tooth plate . Occipital process 4-6 times longer than broad . 9-11 branched dorsal-fin rays , the first prolonged into short filaments . Longest filament comprised 3-4 times in standard length . Predorsal length 2.4-2.6 times in standard length . Adipose fin long, its origin well in front of the anal fin , narrowly separated from dorsal fin . Width of premaxillary tooth plate 2.5-2.8 times in head length . Lobes of caudal fin often with short filaments . Upper caudal-fin lobe comprised 2-3 times in standard length . : fusiform / normal; Cross section: circular.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Bayad is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Bayad is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction takes place during high water . There is some indication that the species comes to shallower water to breed . From 4 breeding fish taken, 3 were from inshore waters and 1 from 40m depth in the open water . The nest is a relatively large depression with the shape of a flat dish and proportions relative to the size of the fish . A single well formed hole of about 10-15cm in diameter and 10-15cm depth is present nearly in the middle . Eggs are laid inside this hole . Eggs are white, having a diameter of little more than 1 millimeter . Larvae stay in the hole a couple of days after hatching . They swim above the nest when disturbed and return to hole after disturbance has stopped .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous ; depth range ? - 60 m . Tropical; 22°C - 28°C

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Bayad is an edible species."

⚡ Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Bayad has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 65 records indexed .

👥 Community & Contribute