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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: Dr Franz Josef Maria Werner (1867–1939) was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Boulenger.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 7°N - 7°S
Africa: upper White Nile across Lake Victoria and lakes of Central African rift, and southwards to Lake Tanganyika and the Malagarasi drainage (Ref. 78218). Reported from Bahr el Jebel in South Sudan (Ref. 28714) and Rusizi River in Burundi (Ref. 98755).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 23.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 248)
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.
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); 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; nothing is known about reproduction (Ref. 248).
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 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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): 3.1 ±0.38 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (13 of 100).
![Image of Clarias werneri (Werner\](/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Clwer_u0.jpg "Image of Clarias werneri (Werner\")
