Silurus glanis • Siluridae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

212lb adult
Caught in the River Ebro, Spain
Albino - close up of mouth
Albino Juvenile
Leucistic adult
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Leucistic adult
Leucistic adult
Statue found in Town Centre, Munich, Germany
Dorsal view of head
Juvenile collected in Desna river(Trib. Dniper R.)
Juvenile, Desna River
Juvenile, Desna River

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Silurus glanis** Linnaeus, 1758
Common Name(s)	European Catfish, Sheatfish, Wels
Type Locality	Orient, less frequently in European lakes.
Synonym(s)	Silurus glanis aralensis, Silurus silurus
Pronunciation	See loo russ - glare neess
Etymology	From the Greek silouros which is the name of the fish. Again from the Greek word glanis, which is the name of the fish
Species Information
Size	4900mm (192.9") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Easily distinguished among silurids by its broad head, truncate caudal fin, mottled coloration and immense size.
Sexing	Males are more slender and have strong serrations on the posterior edge of the pectoral spine (females lack these serrations).
General Remarks	The worlds largest catfish, the largest example of which, caught in the River Dnepr (flowing through the Ukraine into the Black Sea), was measured at 5m (16ft, 5in) long and wieghed 306kg (675lb). In Appendix III of the Bern Convention (protected fauna). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. European rivers (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
pH	6.0 - 8.0
Temperature	4.0-20.0°C or 39.2-68°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	Able to tolerate brackish / salt water as it has been found in brackish water in the Black and Baltic Seas, and has spawned in the salt water of the Aral Sea.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	A voracious predator. Juveniles can be fed live, frozen or pelleted foods; adults can be fed live fish, frogs or baby rats. May be taught to eat strips of raw meat.
Furniture	A tankbuster that will outgrow almost any tank. Best kept in a pond. Provide large overhanging roots or pieces of driftwood as suitable hiding places.
Compatibility	Given its voracious appetite, best kept alone. Any other tankmates will eventually end up as food.
Breeding	Breeding does not occur until the water temperature reaches at least 20˚C, which is in mid-May to June to the south of its range and July to August in the north. The male excavates a redd (pit nest) in weedy gravel or sand-bottomed shallows into which the female deposits a clump of relatively large (3mm-diameter), yellow, sticky eggs. The number of eggs produced depends on the size of the female and is equivalent to 25000-30000 per kilogram of her weight. After fertilizing the eggs, the male guards them until they hatch - usually three to four days later at temperatures of 20-21˚C. When newly hatched, larval catfish are about 7mm long and have only one barbel. They remain in the redd, guarded by the male, until their yolk sacs have been fully absorbed. They then disperse to feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and become piscivorous at the end of their first year (when they reach a size of 20-25 cm).
Further Information
References	Systema Nat. ed. 10v. 1 - pp304 Greenhalgh, M., 1999. Freshwater Fish. Mitchell Beazley, London. 192 pp.
Registered Keepers	(1) arapaima, (2) JAYcarreon, (3) featherback (k: 5), (4) Wels, who also notes: "The sole pond inhabitant! ^^ Currently 39cm long", (5) AleGer (k: 5), (6) Wiccatfish, (7) Yellowpieslinger. Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species. Add this species to your "my cats" page.
Breeding Reports	None.
More Resources	- Search Planet Catfish for more on Silurus glanis - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Silurus glanis on AquaticRepublic.com - Look up Silurus glanis on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search. - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
Hits	24938 hits.
Last Update	2006 Apr 27 00:00 (species record created: 2001 Apr 21 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758

Common Name(s)

European Catfish, Sheatfish, Wels

Type Locality

Orient, less frequently in European lakes.

Synonym(s)

Silurus glanis aralensis, Silurus silurus

Pronunciation

See loo russ - glare neess

Etymology

From the Greek silouros which is the name of the fish. Again from the Greek word glanis, which is the name of the fish

Species Information

Size

4900mm (192.9") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

Easily distinguished among silurids by its broad head, truncate caudal fin, mottled coloration and immense size.

Sexing

Males are more slender and have strong serrations on the posterior edge of the pectoral spine (females lack these serrations).

General Remarks

The worlds largest catfish, the largest example of which, caught in the River Dnepr (flowing through the Ukraine into the Black Sea), was measured at 5m (16ft, 5in) long and wieghed 306kg (675lb).

In Appendix III of the Bern Convention (protected fauna). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia.
European rivers (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)

6.0 - 8.0

Temperature

4.0-20.0°C or 39.2-68°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

Able to tolerate brackish / salt water as it has been found in brackish water in the Black and Baltic Seas, and has spawned in the salt water of the Aral Sea.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

A voracious predator. Juveniles can be fed live, frozen or pelleted foods; adults can be fed live fish, frogs or baby rats. May be taught to eat strips of raw meat.

Furniture

A tankbuster that will outgrow almost any tank. Best kept in a pond. Provide large overhanging roots or pieces of driftwood as suitable hiding places.

Compatibility

Given its voracious appetite, best kept alone. Any other tankmates will eventually end up as food.

Breeding

Breeding does not occur until the water temperature reaches at least 20˚C, which is in mid-May to June to the south of its range and July to August in the north. The male excavates a redd (pit nest) in weedy gravel or sand-bottomed shallows into which the female deposits a clump of relatively large (3mm-diameter), yellow, sticky eggs. The number of eggs produced depends on the size of the female and is equivalent to 25000-30000 per kilogram of her weight.
After fertilizing the eggs, the male guards them until they hatch - usually three to four days later at temperatures of 20-21˚C. When newly hatched, larval catfish are about 7mm long and have only one barbel. They remain in the redd, guarded by the male, until their yolk sacs have been fully absorbed. They then disperse to feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and become piscivorous at the end of their first year (when they reach a size of 20-25 cm).

Further Information

References

Systema Nat. ed. 10v. 1 - pp304
Greenhalgh, M., 1999. Freshwater Fish. Mitchell Beazley, London. 192 pp.

Registered Keepers

(1) arapaima, (2) JAYcarreon, (3) featherback (k: 5), (4) Wels, who also notes: "The sole pond inhabitant! ^^ Currently 39cm long", (5) AleGer (k: 5), (6) Wiccatfish, (7) Yellowpieslinger.

Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.

Add this species to your My Cats species list

Add this species to your "my cats" page.

Breeding Reports

None.

More Resources

- Search Planet Catfish for more on Silurus glanis
Link

- BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts)
Look up AquaticRepublic.com

- Look up Silurus glanis on AquaticRepublic.com
Look up Fishbase

- Look up Silurus glanis on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search.
Link

- URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)

Hits

24938 hits.

Last Update

2006 Apr 27 00:00 (species record created: 2001 Apr 21 00:00)

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