Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Clariidae (Airbreathing catfishes)
Etymology: Xenoclarias: Greek, xenos = strange + Latin, clarias, -a, -um = shining (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Norman.
Issue
Xenoclarias holobranchus Greenwood, 1958 is considered valid in Eschmeyer (CofF ver. Jul. 2011: Ref. 87661) following Ferraris (2007: Ref. 58032). It is treated here a synonym of Xenoclarias eupogon (Norman, 1928) following Gee (1975: Ref. 104726) and Teugels (1986: Ref. 3820).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; depth range 10 - 79 m (Ref. 104726). Tropical; 1°N - 3°S
Africa: endemic to Lake Victoria, occuring in the deeper waters (Ref. 78218, 104723, 104726).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 104726)
Absence of suprabranchial respiratory organs and reduction of suprabranchial chamber as adaptation to deep-water habitat (Ref. 104723, 104726). 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 (Ref. 104726). Entirely insectivorous, with preference of Chironomidae over Chaoboridae larvae (Ref. 1047726), but fish remains have also been found (Ref. 78218).
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 (Ref. 35948).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Gee, J.M., 1975. The genus Xenoclarias (Pisces, Siluriformes) in Lake Victoria, with a redescription of Xenoclarias eupogon and notes on the biology of the species. J. Zool., Lond., 175:201-217. (Ref. 104726)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.6 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 (16 of 100).
