New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

💧 Freshwater Critically Endangered 🌡️ Tropical

Lake Victoria deepwater catfish

Xenoclarias eupogon Norman, 1928
Max Length
20.9 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.4
Depth
10–79 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
25.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Absence of suprabranchial respiratory organs and reduction of suprabranchial chamber as adaptation to deep-water habitat . Inhabits deeper areas of Lake Victoria (10 to 79 m); mostly found over muddy bottoms, not far from steep, rocky zones where it is believed to breed; sexual maturity is reached at ca. 11 cm SL . Entirely insectivorous, with preference of Chironomidae over Chaoboridae larvae , but fish remains have also been found . Xenoclarias eupogon is an endemic species of Lake Victoria which is threatened with extinction or has already disappeared due to predation by Nile perch and other recent ecological impacts .

Scientific Name
Xenoclarias eupogon
Authority
Norman, 1928
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Tropical
IUCN Status
CR
Max Length
20.9 cm
Depth Range
10–79 m
Latitude
3°S – 1°N
Trophic Level
3.4
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
25.00/100
Salinity
0–0.5 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Teleostei
Order
Siluriformes
Siluriformes
Family
Clariidae
Clariidae
Genus
Xenoclarias
Xenoclarias
Species
Lake Victoria deepwater catfish
Xenoclarias eupogon

🐟 Physical Description

Physical description for Lake Victoria deepwater catfish is currently being compiled.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Lake Victoria deepwater catfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Lake Victoria deepwater catfish is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Lake Victoria deepwater catfish is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal; depth range 10 - 79 m . Tropical; 1°N - 3°S endemic to Lake Victoria, occuring in the deeper waters (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.4±0.6

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00741 × L2.97 (TL)
Max TL
20.9cm

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
0–0.5ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Critically Endangered
Assessment Date
2015

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
25.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.4
Predator
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
1°N – 3°S
Described By
Norman, 1928

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 4 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Lake Victoria deepwater catfish ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.