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Upper Congo catfish (Chrysichthys mabusi) — Claroteidae

Upper Congo catfish

Chrysichthys mabusi
Family: Claroteidae
LC · Least Concern

The Upper Congo catfish (Chrysichthys mabusi) is a freshwater fish of the family Claroteidae that grows up to 41 cm.

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

Description

The upper Congo catfish is a catfish from the upper Congo basin upstream of Stanley Falls, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. The species grows to about 41 cm and has a scaleless, silver-grey body with barbels around the mouth. As a bottom-dweller it searches rivers and streams for invertebrates, small fish and plant matter. The fish is a local food fish and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Upper Congo catfish?

The Upper Congo catfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Upper Congo catfish live?

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

How big does the Upper Congo catfish get?

The Upper Congo catfish grows to a maximum of about 41 cm.

Is the Upper Congo catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Upper Congo catfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Upper Congo catfish edible?

Yes, the Upper Congo catfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Boven-Congo-meerval verified
English name
Upper Congo catfish verified
Scientific name
Chrysichthys mabusi
Family
Claroteidae

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
41.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

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

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