Clarias Platycephalus
📖 Overview
Facultative air-breathing ; Restricted to equatorial forest and galley forest rivers . Inhabits smaller rivers, ditches and inundation zones . Feeds on fish .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal soft rays (total): 72 - 83; Anal soft rays: 56 - 65; Vertebrae: 59 - 63. Diagnosis: head length 24.5-28.4% SL . Head broad, long and flattened, rectangularly outlined in dorsal view , its width 17.4-21.9% SL . Eyes lateral; postorbital bones in contact . Interorbital distance 42.6-51.8% HL . Tooth plates extremely large , width of premaxillary tooth plate 32.4-40.0% HL, and of vomerine tooth plate 26.4-36.2% HL . Frontal fontanelle somewhat intermediate between `sole-shaped' and `knife-shaped'; occipital fontanelle oval-shaped . Pectoral spine straight , strongly serrate on anterior margin only . 14 or fewer gill rakers , which are short and widely separated . Supra-branchial organ consists of well-developed arborescent structures but not completely filling the cavity . Dorsal fin length 60.4-65.6% SL; distance from dorsal to caudal fin 1.6-3.7% SL . Flank neuromasts arranged in a regular pattern . Colouration: both in life and in preservation colouration is marbled: large irregular black blotches on a pale brown base present on back, flanks, dorsal and anal fins, and on posterior/upper side of paired fins; ventrum and lower parts of paired fins beige, as are distal parts of unpaired fins; caudal fin bears a series of pale and dark bands . Never an irregular pattern of small white spots on body .: elongated; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Clarias Platycephalus is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Clarias Platycephalus is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Reproduction data for Clarias Platycephalus is currently being compiled.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 3°N - 10°S Widespread in the lower and middle Congo River basin (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
fish (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarias ekibondoi | Fowler | 1936 | Synonym |
| Clarias varispinis | Fowler | 1936 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 118 records indexed .
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