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Description: The main description for A. biscutatus is that the body and adipose fin in adults is either light brown or grey with small, distinct spots on the rayed fins that do not form bands. The shape of the nuchal plate is also distinctive from all other congeners in the genera. The species depicted in the first thumbnail image was originally thought to be a a juvenile of A. occidentalis. Habitat: Commonly occurs in running water, lakes and submerged vegetation in the Sudd, rare in fringing vegetation. Abstract: The taxonomic history of the African catfish genus Auchenoglanis includes eight nominal species, with two of these, Auchenoglanis biscutatus and Auchenoglanis occidentalis, being recognised as valid by most authors. The validity of all eight species was recently established based on mainly pigmentation-related characters and the shape of the premaxillary tooth plates. As these results opposed previous works but lacked any mention of these, the species diversity in the genus was re-evaluated based on biometric, meristic and other morphological data. It reconfirms the status of only two valid species within the genus. Auchenoglanis occidentalis ranks among the African fish species with very large distribution areas, being present from Senegal to Tanzania. Auchenoglanis biscutatus is distinguished from A. occidentalis by a postorbital head length that is greater than the preorbital head length, an adipose fin that rises abruptly, and a maxillary barbel with a tip not darker than the head colour. Reproduction: Gravid fish are recorded throughout the year with a peak in the dry season. Teugels et al. (1991) considered the genus Auchenoglanis to be comprised of two valid species: A. biscutatus and A. occidentalis. Due to the work carried out recently (2010) by Michael Retzer there are now 8 in this genus with six new species, A. acuticeps, (now considered a synonym of A. occidentalis) A. biscutatus, A. occidentalis, A. sacchii, A. senegali, (now considered a synonym of A. biscutatus) A. tanganicanus, A. tchadiensis and A. wittei. Diet: Feeds on the bottom on mud, debris, insects, notably chironomid larvae and mollusks. (Geerinckx & Vreven 2013). Etymology: The genus name Auchenoglanis: replacement name for Auchenaspis Bleeker 1858 (preoccupied in fossil fishes), auchenos, neck and aspis, shield, referring to broad nuchal shield; glanis, sheatfish (Silurus glanis), now used as a general term for catfish. The specific name biscutatus: bi-, two; scutatus, shielded, referring to the nuchal shield divided into two parts. Remarks: A. senegali Retzer, 2010 is now considered a synonym of A. biscutatus.

Nile auchenoglanis

Pimelodus biscutatus, Auchenaspis biscutatus, Auchenoglanis senegali

Auchenoglanididae

Africa: Rivers Nile, Niger, Senegal, Lake Chad Basin and Gambia basin.

54.0cm. (17½ins)

24-26°C (75-79°F)

7.0-8.0

Bailey, R.G. 1994 Guide to the fishes of the River Nile in the Republic of the Sudan. J. Nat. Hist. 28:937-970.
Retzer E. Michael; Taxonomy of Auchenoglanis Günther 1865 (Siluriformes: Auchenoglanididae) Zootaxa 2655: 25–51 (2010).
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.
Tom Geerinckx & Emmanuel Vreven (2013) A re-evaluation of the species-level diversity within the catfish genus Auchenoglanis (Siluriformes: Claroteidae), Journal of Natural History, 47:47-48, 2979-3010.