Catfish

📖 Overview

Facultative air-breathing ; Found more abundant in forest floodplain ponds, grassland floodplain ponds and marshes than in rivers . Maximum reported size 235 mm TL for West Africa and Lower Guinea .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 65 - 82; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 52 - 63; Vertebrae: 53 - 54. Diagnosis: head oval-shaped in dorsal outline , fairly broad (width 15.9-21.1% SL) and rather long (24.1-27.6% SL) . Snout rounded . Tooth plates small . Width of premaxillary tooth plate 22.3-27.5% HL (m=24.9), of vomerine plate 19.9-24.5% HL; interorbital space relatively narrow (40.6-46.1% HL, averaging 42.8% HL) . Barbels relatively short, but longer than head . Frontal fontanelle usually short and wide/squat ('sole-shaped') . Occipital fontanelle small and oval-shaped; supraorbital and 'dermosphenotic' bones become sutured . Pectoral spine robust and slightly curved , with serrations on anterior and posterior margin . Gill rakers long and distantly set; suprabranchial organ well developed; openings of the secondary canals of the lateral line appear as irregular white spots on the body . 15-24 gill rakers on first gill arch; 52-63 anal fin rays . Coloration: characteristic for its very light colouration; back and sides yellowish brown, belly clear/light grey .: elongated; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Catfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Catfish is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Catfish is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous . Tropical; 8°N - 3°N

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 55 records indexed .

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