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Nathan Cook (1)

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11. Congoglanis alula differs from C. inga in having a shorter maxillary barbel not reaching to vertical through anterior margin of orbit, vs. extending well past anterior margin of orbit, respectively; a longer pelvic fin, 24–28% of standard length, vs. 19–21%; a shorter postorbital length, 27–31% of head length, vs. 32–35%; a relatively narrow interorbital width, 1.5 times eye diameter, vs. 2 times; and shorter anal-fin rays, posterior rays of adpressed anal fin extend to, rarely slightly beyond, vertical through posterior limit of adipose fin, vs. posterior rays extend well past vertical through posterior limit of adipose fin. Congoglanis alula differs from C. sagitta in having a longer pectoral fin, 28–29% of standard length, vs. 23–27%; a longer pelvic fin, 24–28% of standard length, vs. 19–21%; a shorter caudal peduncle, 18–22% of standard length, vs. 21–24%; and deeper caudal peduncle, caudal-peduncle depth 2.6–3.3 times in caudal-peduncle length, vs. 3.1–4.0 times; a relatively narrow interorbital width, 1.5 times eye diameter, vs. 2 times; a more posteriorly placed anal fin, anal-fin origin approximately at tip of adpressed pelvic fin, vs. origin well in advance of tip of adpressed pelvic fin; and fewer vertebrae, 36–39, vs. 39–41. Habitat: Typically found in fastest flowing portions of rivers and always associated with large rocks; appears to congregate underneath rocks near where water breaks over the rocks during the day, and will move out onto the tops of rocks at night. Etymology: The specific name alula: winglet, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to flattened and expanded wing-like fins, an adaptation to fast water. Remarks: These catfish do not possess a swim bladder so they keep away from open waters.

None

Doumea alula

Amphiliidae

Africa: Western and central Africa: Congo River basin, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic, and Angola. Type locality: Stanleyville, Congo.

14.0cm. (5½ins)

18-22°c (63-71°f.)

6.5-7.5.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., R.P. Vari and P.H. Skelton, 2011. A new genus of African loach catfish (Siluriformes: Amphiliidae) from the Congo River basin, the sister-group to all other genera of the Doumeinae, with the description of two new species. Copeia 2011(4):477-489.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2019. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 04/2019 ).
Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance. Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.