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Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
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.
Eponymy: Gordon Hill was a volunteer assistant in the Department of Fishes and Reptiles, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. We have been unable to find any more about him. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Fowler.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical
Africa: middle Congo River basin, Lake Albert system and Malagarasi basin (Ref. 248, 78218). Also reported from the lower Lualaba (Ref. 106245).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 19.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3820)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 76 - 87; Anal soft rays: 63 - 69; Vertebrae: 60 - 64. Head rectangular to oval-shaped dorsally; snout broadly rounded; eyes laterally placed. Frontal fontanelle long and narrow; occipital fontanelle small and oval-shaped. Supraorbital and `dermosphenotic' bones separate but not reduced. Tooth plates broad. Pectoral spine slightly curved; outer side with strong, downward serrations. Gill rakers short and squat, although distantly set. Suprabranchial organ rather primitive. Openings of the secondary sensory canals display a regular pattern.
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274)
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
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. (Ref. 248)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00794 (0.00357 - 0.01766), b=2.96 (2.78 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).