Home · Claroteidae · Claroteid catfish
Claroteid catfish (Chrysichthys delhezi) — Claroteidae

Claroteid catfish

Chrysichthys delhezi
Family: Claroteidae
LC · Least Concern

The Claroteid catfish (Chrysichthys delhezi) is a freshwater fish of the family Claroteidae that grows up to 23 cm.

Length
23.2 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

Delhez's claroteid catfish is an African catfish (Claroteidae) from the Congo basin in Central Africa. The species has an elongate, scaleless body with an adipose fin, four pairs of barbels and stout pectoral and dorsal fin spines. It lives bottom-bound in rivers and searches at night by touch for insect larvae, molluscs, small fishes and plant matter. The stout, partly serrated fin spines can give a painful puncture wound when handled.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Claroteid catfish?

The Claroteid catfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Claroteid catfish live?

The Claroteid catfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Claroteid catfish get?

The Claroteid catfish grows to a maximum of about 23 cm.

Is the Claroteid catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Claroteid catfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Claroteid catfish edible?

Yes, the Claroteid catfish is commonly eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Delhez' glansmeerval sourced
English name
Claroteid catfish sourced
Scientific name
Chrysichthys delhezi
Family
Claroteidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
23.2 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Spots inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Chrysichthys

More from the family Claroteidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →