Description:
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total):
65-79; Anal soft rays: 57 - 64; Vertebrae: 52 - 55.
Pectoral fin spine serrated on both inner and outer
sides. Head oval-shaped in dorsal outline; snout short
and slightly rounded; eyes more dorsally located.
Frontal fontanelle long and narrow (`knife-shaped');
occipital fontanelle long and oval-shaped. Supraorbital
and `dermospenoticum' joined. Tooth plates relatively
small. gill rakers long, slender and distantly set.
Suprabranchial organ well developed. Openings of the
secondary sensory canals regularly arranged on flanks.
Habitat: Found in marginal water-lily and
papyrus swamps, streams and side-arms of larger waters.
This species is present in Lakes Victoria, Kyoga,
Edward, George, and their affluent streams, rivers
and associated satellite lakes (Kachira, Nakivali,
Kijanebalora, Katwe, Kirumi). Also in the Victoria
Nile, Malagarasi River and the Lake Tanzania and Rukwa
systems (Seegers 1996). Colouration:Olive/brown, lighter towards the belly. Diet:
Feeds on insects, a wide variety of insect larvae
and crustaceans.Remarks:
Similar looking to Clarias
werneri.
Common
Name:
Alluaud's catfish
Synonyms:
Clarias hilgendorfi
Family:
Clariidae
Distribution:
Africa: Lakes
Victoria, Kyoga, Edward, Rukwa and Tanganyika. Type
locality: Entebbe and Bunuako; [and] Kavirondo
Bay, Lake Victoria [restricted to Bunuako by lectotype
designation].
Size:
35.0cm. (14ins)
Temp:
23-28°c
(73-83°f)
p.H.
6.5-8.0.
Reference:
Froese, R. and D. Pauly.
Editors. 2009. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic
publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2016). Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of
Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance.
Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p. 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. van Oijen, M.J.P., 1995. Appendix
I. Key to Lake Victoria fishes other than haplochromine
cichlids. p. 209-300. In F. Witte and W.L.T. van Densen
(eds.) Fish stocks and fisheries of Lake Victoria.
A handbook for field observations. Samara Publishing
Limited, Dyfed, Great Britain.
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