SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Zaireichthys rotundiceps (Hilgendorf, 1905)

Image contributors to this species:

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

This species along with a few others others were in the Leptoglanis genera but were reclassified by the works carried out by Mo, 1991; Diogo, 2003b and Roberts, 2003. There are still a few undescribed species. Description: Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5-6; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 13; Vertebrae: 35 - 38. This species differs from Zaireichthys lacustris and Z. maravensis in possessing a premaxillary tooth patch that is less than 40% of the mouth width; it has shorter barbels than Z. wamiensis, maxillary barbel 0.9-1.3 in head length vs. 0.7-0.9; and it is distinguished from Z. compactus by higher number of branched pectoral-fin rays, 7 vs. 6. Habitat: Inhabits fairly shallow water. Reproduction: Occurs over sand, usually buried with just the eyes protruding. Reproduction: Eggs few (12-16) and large (3-5 mm diameter) suggesting possible parental care. Aquarium Care: Provide an aquarium with a sand substrate with a number of rocks in the rear of the tank. Smaller fish such as tetras can be added for the upper layers. Etymology: The genus name of Zaireichthys: meaning a fish from Zaire. The specific name of rotundiceps: rotundus, rounded; ceps, head, referring to semi-circular shape of head when seen from above. Remarks: As it currently stands, this species probably represents a complex of several different species.

Common Name:

Spotted sand catlet

Synonyms:

Gephyroglanis rotundiceps, Leptoglanis rotundiceps

Family:

Amphiliidae

Distribution:

Africa: Cunene, Okavango and Zambezi, Pungwe, Buse and Save basins, and Lake Malawi basin, Lake Rukwa basin. Type locality: In Bubu near Kondoa/Irangi.

Size:

4.0cm. (1½ins)

Temp:

22-25°c (71-77°f.)

p.H.

6.5-7.2.

Reference:

Bell-Cross, G. and J.L. Minshull, 1988. The fishes of Zimbabwe. National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. 294 p.
Eccles, D.H., D. Tweddle and P.H. Skelton, 2011. Eight new species in the dwarf catfish genus Zaireichthys (Siluriformes: Amphiliidae). Smithiana Bull. (13):3-28.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2023 )
Roberts, T.R., 2003. Systematics and osteology of Leptoglaninae a new subfamily of the African catfish family Amphiliidae, with descriptions of three new genera and six new species. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 54(5):81-132.
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.

Family: Amphiliidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Zaireichthys rotundiceps
Lateral view-line drawing

Zaireichthys rotundiceps
Line drawing-lateral and dorsal head view

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.