Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and for a world without hunger Department

Species Fact Sheets gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Clarias gariepinus: (click for more)

Synonyms Macropteronotus charmuth Lacepède, 1803: 84-85 (status uncertain, synonim of or ). () gariepinus Burchell, 1822: 425 (original description). Clarias lazera Valenciennes, 1840: 372. Clarias syriacus Valenciennes, 1840: 375. Clarias capensis Valenciennes, 1840: 377. Clarias mossambicus Peters, 1852: 682. Clarias orontis , Clarias macracanthus Günther, 1864: 16 and Clarias xenodon. Clarias robecchii Vinciguerra, 1893: 450. Clarias guentheri Pfeffer, 1896: 28. Clarias smithii Günther, 1896: 219. Clarias longiceps Boulenger, 1899: 103. Clarias moorii Boulenger, 1901: 13. Clarias tsanensis Boulenger, 1902: 438 and Clarias vinciguerrae. Clarias malaris Nichols & Griscom, 1917: 705. Clarias notozygurus Lönnberg & Rendhal, 1922: 125. Clarias depressus Myers, 1925: 12. Clarias muelleri Pietsmann, 1939: 184.

FAO Names En - North African , Fr - Poisson-chat nord-africain, Sp - Pez-gato. 3Alpha Code: CLZ Taxonomic Code: 1411803003

Diagnostic Features Body elongate. Head large, depressed and bony with small eyes. Narrow and angular occipital process; gill openings wide; air-breathing labyrinthic organ arising from gill arches; first gill arch with 24 to 110 gillrakers; cleithrum pointed, narrow with longitudinal ridges and with sharpness. Mouth terminal, large. Four pairs of barbels present. Long dorsal and anal fins; without spine and adipose fin. Anterior edge of pectoral spine serrated. Caudal fin rounded. Colour varies from sandy-yellow through gray to olive with dark greenish- brown markings, belly white. Can be confused with: The morphology of the cleithrum appears as a useful character to distinguish the

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department closely related catfish species, Clarias anguillaris and C. gariepinus . Elsewhere, the difference seems less distinct, although the presence of a pointed cleithrum is typical for C. gariepinus (Benech et al ., 1993).

Geographical Distribution

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Native of , Niger and Nile Rivers. Also extending to southern Africa, in the Limpopo, Orange-Vaal, Okavango and Cunene River systems; and to the Levant with Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Widely introduced to other parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. Trade restricted in Germany. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after.

Habitat and Biology Freshwater, widely tolerant of extreme environmental conditions.The presence of an accessory breathing organ enables this species to breathe air when very active or under very dry conditions.Bottom feeder which occasionally feeds at the surface. Omnivorous, a general scavenger. Feeds on insects, crabs, plankton, snails and fish but also take young birds, rotting flesh, plants and fruits.During intra-specific aggressive interactions, this species was noted to generate electric organ discharges that were monophasic, head-positive and lasting from 5-260 ms. Spawning (between July to December) takes place during the rainy season in flooded deltas.

Size To 150 cm; max. weight 60 kg. The record individual from the country of Malawi was 16.1 Kg

Interest to Fisheries One of the commercially most important freshwater fishes in Africa. Caught with drawnets. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 27 220 t. The countries with the largest catches were Mali (15 091 t) and Nigeria (9 994 t). Has been imported for purposes of aquaculture and gamefish. Marketed live, fresh and frozen; eaten broiled, fried and baked.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Global Capture Production for species (tonnes) Source: FAO FishStat 75k

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Clarias gariepinus

Global Aquaculture Production for species (tonnes) Source: FAO FishStat 300k

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Local Names Afrikaans : Skerptandbaber . Arabic : Abu shanab , Balbout , Garmut . Bemba : Mulonge , Muta . Dinka-Northeastern : Attek , Cik . Dutch : Afrikaanse meerval . English : African catfish , , Catfish , Common catfish , North African catfish , Sharptooth catfish . French : Poisson-chat nord-africain . Fulfulde/Pulaar : Baleewu . German : Kiemensackwels , Welse . Hausa : Tarwada . FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Hebrew : Sfamnun matzui . Igbo : Arira . Ijo : Imunu . Japanese : Namazu . Kanuri : Kemudu . Khmer : Trey andaing afrik . Krio : Harlei , T-nima , Thamba . Nuer : Pet cick , Pet der . Nupe : Ejengi . Nyanja : Mlamba . Polish : Stawada . Russian : Yuzhnoafrikanskaya zubatka . Shilluk : Cogo . Soninké : Talage . Spanish : Pez gato africano . Swahili : Kambale , Kambale mumi , Kambali , Mlamba . Wolof : Bambara , Toucouleurs , Yess . Yoruba : Aro .

Related links Check this species at FishBase

Bibliography Species 2000 Dynamic (Checklist Query). Benech, V., G.G. Teugels & G. Gourene - 1993Critère practique pour distinguer deux poisson-chats africains, Clarias anguillaris et C. gariepinus (Siluriformes: Claridae). Cybium 17 (1): 83-85. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2003. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www..org Rainboth, W.L. - 1996FAO species identification field guide for purposes. . Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong.RomeFAO. 265 pp. Skelton, P.H. & G.G. Teugels - 1992 Neotype description for the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Pisces: Siluroidei: Clariidae). Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. , 56: 1-8. Vera, J. - 1992 Diccionario multilingüe de especies marinas para el mundo hispano.Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Secretaria General Técnica. 1282 pp.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department