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Hippocampus Bildarchiv (1) Frants Lehmann (1 stamp) Claudio Marullo (2)

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 96-109; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 83 - 94. Dorsal and anal fins always confluent with caudal fin. Body very elongate, maximum body depth 14-15% standard length, abdominal depth 4.5-8% SL (mean 6). Head very short, 12.5-14.3% standard length; lateral cephalic bones separated from each other by a distinct gap. Distance between supraoccipital process and dorsal fin short, 5-14% SL; pectoral fins present, 30-56% skull length, supported by a short spine (about half of fin length); pelvic fins always present and short; skull short, 11-18% SL (mean 13), with a very narrow roof, 9-23% (mean 14) head length, partially covered by jaw muscles; these muscles almost completely exposed dorsally and laterally and frequently bulging (especially in larger specimens); supraoccipital process short and narrow, 10-20% (mean 16) head length; eyes very small (4-9%), bordered by small infraorbital bones (hard to observe externally); barbels long, maxillary longest (86-155% skull length); maxillary barbel connected at base to large skin folds that border mouth opening; when mouth is closed, these skin flaps are folded and conspicuous in dorsal view; internal mandibular barbel shortest, 58-99% (mean 76) head length. Habitat: Prefers small streams and ditches with leaf litter. Also found in swamp regions. Colouration: In life: uniformly light brown. Preserved specimens: brownish-black on back and sides, light brown on belly. Ventral prepelvic region slightly paler than rest of body. Aquarium Care: Not a problem as long as you provide hiding places such as pipe work etc. Will be out during the day looking for food. Will not attack other fish in the aquarium unless they are very small. Diet: Probably consists of insect larvae, worms and similar smaller organisms. Fishes are not eaten. In the aquarium you can feed insect larvae, frozen and tablet foods.

Fatheaded Eel Catfish

Gymnallabes typus heterocercalis, Clariallabes longicaudatus

Clariidae

Africa: Niger River to Cameroon. Type locality: West Africa, probably Old Calabar.

23.0cm. (9ins)

23-26°C (73-79°F)

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. 2019. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 12/2019 ).
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., 2003. Clariidae. p. 144-173 In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France. 815 p.