Description:
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total):
6 - 6; Anal soft rays: 12 - 14. Body moderately elongate.
A deep head, its height more than 66% of the head
length. An obtusely pointed snout, slightly rounded.
Eye-diameter longer than the length of the nasal barbel.
Nasal barbel short, hardly reaching the anterior edge
of the orbit; maxillary barbel moderate reaching the
tip of the humeral spine; outer mandibulary barbel
moderate, up to the posterior end of the operculum;
inner mandibulary barbel reaching the end of the orbit;
the two pairs of slender mandibulary barbels are distantly
set and in between small papillae are found. A low
number, 13-14, of slender gill rakers. Humeral spine
well developed, but not reaching beyond the level
of the dorsal spin. Dorsal spine short, strongly serrated
on the posterior side; pectoral spine well developed,
strongly serrated on the inner side. Dorsal fin short,
much shorter than the head length; pectoral fin short,
not reaching the base of the ventral fin; anal fin
moderate, its base longer than or equal to the base
of the adipose fin. Adipose fin small, the length
of its base shorter than the length of the base of
the dorsal fin). Colouration: Preserved
specimens are dark brown above the lateral line and
lighter beneath; sometimes there is a black band behind
the operculum. The dorsal and caudal fin may show
a tiny black margin. Remarks:
This is stated as a smalll Chrysichthys specieswhich may be is imported as C.
longipinnis
or C. sp. furcatus in the trade.
The first three specimens in the photo's are just
under 2ins (5cm) in size and the last three are 12
months later.
Common
Name:
None
Synonyms:
None
Family:
Claroteidae
Distribution:
Africa: Lower
Congo River basin and Ubangi drainage (middle Congo
River basin). Type locality: Yelelola
(falls). Lower Zaire (5º43'S, 13º34'E).
Size:
14.0cm. (5½ins)
Temp:
22-28°C (71-83°F)
p.H.
6.5.-7.2.
Reference:
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.
2009. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version (02/2010). Risch, L. 1987 Description of four
new bagrid catfishes from Africa (Siluriformes: Bagridae).
Cybium 11(1):21-38. Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of
Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance.
Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.
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