Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Siluriformes (Catfish) >
Clariidae (Airbreathing catfishes)
Etymology: Clarias: Greek, chlaros = lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water. More on author: Boulenger.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 7°N - 7°S
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 23.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4967)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 64-92;
Anal
soft rays: 64 - 79;
Vertebrae: 58 - 62. Pectoral fin spine serrated on both inner and outer sides (Ref. 34290). Head pointed in dorsal outline; snout short and slightly rounded; eyes more dorsally located. Frontal fontanelle short and squat (`sole-shaped') or intermediate between `sole-shaped' and `knife-shaped'; occipital fontanelle long and oval-shaped. The `dermosphenotic' and supraorbital joined. Tooth plates small. gill rakers long, slender and distantly set. Suprabranchial organ well developed. Openings of secondary canals regularly arranged along flanks.
Africa: upper White Nile across Lake Victoria and lakes of Central African rift (Kyoga, Edward) and southwards to Lake Tanganyika and the Malagarasi drainage (Ref. 78218). Reported from Bahr el Jebel in Sudan (Ref. 28714).
Found in lakes and rivers. Feeds mainly on insects, consisting of larval and adult aquatic Coleoptera, terrestrial insects, chironomid larvae and larvae of Povilla, culicines and hydroptilids. Also feeds on ostracods, gastropods, plants, copepods and Hydracarina (Ref. 248).
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.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries:
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00713 (-0.16169 - 0.17594), b=3.00 (2.91 - 3.09), based on LWR estimates for this genus-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.38 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (26 of 100) .