| Family: |
Claroteidae (Claroteid catfishes), subfamily: Auchenoglanidinae |
| Max. size: |
22.5 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
Africa: Dja River drainage (middle Congo River basin) and Nyong in Cameroon, Ogooué in Gabon, Sangha River (middle Congo River basin) in Republic of Congo (Ref. 50834, 78218, 81642) and Chiloango basin in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 50834) and Angola (Ref. 120641). May also inhabit other parts of the Congo drainage in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 78218). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 2-2. Diagnosis: caudal peduncle relatively long, with minimal depth as large as horizontal distance between adipose and caudal fin bases, or in a few cases almost twice as large as the horizontal distance between the adipose and caudal fin base (never twice as large); pectoral spine almost completely smooth on its anterior margin; preorbital head length less than maximum head depth; colouration pattern on flanks faint and not clearly demarcated, often with 1 horizontal row of round spots on flanks; adipose fin mostly very well-developed (height 5-8% SL), dorsal fin high (19-30% SL), head deep (head depth 79-97% head width)(Ref. 81642).
Description: body and head relatively elevated, head depth greater than (rarely equal to) preorbital length; barbels relatively short, maxillary barbell at most just reaching pectoral spine base, external mandibular barbel never reaching tip of spine; humeral process of cleithrum (visible through the skin behind the opercle) thin and pointed, with the width of its base shorter than the length of the process; in certain very large specimens this process is robust and more or less triangular; dorsal fin may be very high; in adults, adipose fin relatively solid and high (Ref. 81642).
Coloration: preserved specimens vary from grey to dark brown or almost black; the only marking, not always present, is a horizontal series of 1-6 large black spots, less clearly marked posteriorly on the flanks; ventrum brown or creamy white; occasionally a pale reticulation of the dorsum, adipose and caudal fins is perceptible; other fins always uniformly coloured (Ref. 81642). |
| Biology: |
|
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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