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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.
More on authors: Nichols & LaMonte.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 15°N - 4°S
Africa: Lake Chad basin, upper Benue system (Ref. 248, 57129) and Ubangi River drainage (middle Congo River basin) (Ref. 248). Report from Kogon River (Ref. 13331) unconfirmed and questionable (Ref. 248, 57129).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 19.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57129)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 64 - 70; Anal soft rays: 51 - 55; Vertebrae: 53 - 56. Diagnosis: length of vomerine tooth plate not exceeding length of premaxillary tooth plate; barbels not exceeding head length (Ref. 57129). Head rather pointed in dorsal outline; snout rounded; eyes dorsal; frontal fontanelle short and squat ('sole-shaped'); occipital fontanelle small and oval-shaped; supraorbital and `dermosphenotic' bones fused; tooth plates small; dorsal and anal fins not confluent with caudal fin; suprabranchial organ well developed; openings of secondary canals of lateral line appear as irregularly placed white spots on body (Ref. 248).
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); The species' biology is unknown (Ref. 78218).
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
Fisheries: of no interest
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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): 3.4 ±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).