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Catfish (Parauchenoglanis altipinnis) — Claroteidae

Catfish

Parauchenoglanis altipinnis
Family: Claroteidae
LC · Least Concern

The Catfish (Parauchenoglanis altipinnis) is a freshwater fish of the family Claroteidae that grows up to 23 cm.

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

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Catfish?

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

Where does the Catfish live?

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

How big does the Catfish get?

The Catfish grows to a maximum of about 23 cm.

Is the Catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Catfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Catfish edible?

Yes, the Catfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Hoogvin-bandmeerval sourced
English name
Catfish sourced
Scientific name
Parauchenoglanis altipinnis
Family
Claroteidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
22.5 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 Parauchenoglanis

More from the family Claroteidae

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