The giraffe catfish, Auchenoglanis occidentalis, is an African catfish. It eats plants off the floor of lakes and streams. The diet of giraffe catfish is very dependent upon their environment. They keep an omnivorous diet but mainly eat insects present in the waters. [2]
| Giraffe catfish | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Claroteidae |
| Genus: | Auchenoglanis |
| Species: | A. occidentalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Auchenoglanis occidentalis (Valenciennes, 1840)
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| Synonyms | |
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Distribution and habitat edit
The giraffe catfish is found throughout Africa in lakes and rivers, partially due to introduction and establishment in other areas.[3] It is found in many important lakes and rivers such as the Nile and Lake Chad. Its distribution covers includes bodies of water from East Africa to West Africa. It generally lives in shallow waters with muddy bottoms.[1]
Anatomy and appearance edit
This fish has a maximum size that sources say are between two and three feet.
The giraffe-like pattern will fade with age to a two-tone mottled brown. Various subspecies have been described for this fish, indicating some geographical variation in coloration.[3]
Reproduction edit
Eggs are scattered in a nest and guarded by the male. Dinotopterus cunningtoni takes advantage of the care and allows the male giraffe catfish to care for its eggs and young, an example of interspecific brood care.[1]
Relationship to humans edit
The giraffe catfish is occasionally imported for the aquarium trade. Because of its large eventual size and its fast rate of growth, it is inappropriate for smaller aquaria. This fish will readily accept a variety of foods and is tolerant of a wide variety of water conditions. They will scavenge the aquarium looking for food, which could cause in the uprooting of plants.[3]
This fish is also an important food fish in Africa.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Auchenoglanis occidentalis". FishBase. Retrieved 1 March 2007.
- ^ (Abobi et al., 2019)
- ^ a b c d PlanetCatfish • Catfish of the Month • October 1999
- Risch, L.M., 2003. Claroteidae. p. 60-96 In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France. 815 p.
- ^ Abobi, S.M.; Oyiadzo, J.W.; Wolff, M. (17 Oct 2019). "Comparing feeding niche, growth characteristics and exploitation level of the giraffe catfish Auchenoglanis occidentalis (Valenciennes, 1775) in the two largest artificial lakes of northern Ghana". African Journal of Aquatic Science. 44 (3): 261–272. doi:10.2989/16085914.2019.1628704. Retrieved 16 Mar 2024.