/clariidae/heterobranchus/longifilis/1.jpg "Heterobranchus longifilis(1) Caught on Lake Nasser, Egypt - Click to enlarge")
/clariidae/heterobranchus/longifilis/2.jpg "Heterobranchus longifilis(2) Stamp - Click to enlarge")
/clariidae/heterobranchus/longifilis/3.jpg "Heterobranchus longifilis(3) - Click to enlarge")
/clariidae/heterobranchus/longifilis/4.jpg "Heterobranchus longifilis(4) Adult - Click to enlarge")
 Cat-eLog Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heterobranchus longifilis Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840 |
| Common Name(s) | Vundu |
| Type Locality | Nile R., Egypt. |
| Synonym(s) | Clarias loangwensis, Heterobranchus laticeps, Heterobranchus platycephalus |
| Pronunciation | Het err o brach us - long ee fill iss |
| Etymology | Heterobranchus: From the Greek heteros, meaning different and branchos, meaning fin; in reference to the presence of the two dorsal fins (rayed and adipose). The specific epithet comes from the Latin longus, meaning long and filum, meaning thread; in reference to the long barbels of the fish. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 1500mm (59.1") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Identification | Dorsal-fin rays 26-35; anal-fin rays 42-52; vertebrae 55-61. Head long, broad and somewhat rectangular in dorsal outline; snout broadly rounded; eyes with supero-lateral position. Frontal fontanelle long and narrow; occipital fontanelle oval-shaped. Toothplates wide. Suprabranchial organ well developed. Pectoral spine strongly serrated on anterior side. Adipose fin with blackish posterior part, nearly as long as dorsal fin; caudal fin barred. Openings of secondary canals hardly visible but display a regular pattern. |
| Sexing | Females stouter than males. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | Africa: Nile, Niger, Sénégal, Congo system, upper and middle Zambezi. Also from Lakes Tanganyika and Edward Gambia and Bénoué River, Chad and Volta basins, and the coastal basins of Guinea to Nigeria. African Waters  , Nigeria Rivers, Niger (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Nile (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Congo (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Zambesi, Middle Zambesi (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Zambesi, Upper Zambesi (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Western Rift Valley Lakes, Tanganyika (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Chad (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Western Rift Valley Lakes, Edward (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Gambia (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Nigeria Rivers, Niger, Bénoué (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Volta (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) |
| pH | 5.4 - 7.6 |
| Temperature | 20.0-27.0°C or 68-80.6°F (Show others within this range) |
| Other Parameters | Hefty filtration is required to clean-up after this greedy fish. |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Feeding | Simply anything digestible it can fit into its mouth. Will therefore take all normal aquarium foods. |
| Furniture | Not really an aquarium fish. Although largely inactive and so doesn't require a great deal more room than simply to turn around do bear in mind though that this fish can easily reach the size of 1m in captivity. |
| Compatibility | Will attack surprisingly large fish often with fatal results, a greedy, voracious predator. One for a species tank. |
| Breeding | During spawning, the male first follows the female, swimming with the head against the side of the female, interspersed with periods of solitary swimming or inactivity). The pair then swim head against head with the male on top. This is followed by the male folding the body first around the head, and then the body of the female. During the latter stage, eggs and sperm are released. The female then pushes her head into the substrate and beats her tail vigorously, mixing the eggs and sperm. |
| Further Information | |
| References | Hist. Nat. Poiss.v. 15 - pp394 - Pl. 447 Poncin, Petitfrere, Vandewalle & Ruwet (2002), The reproductive behaviour of the African catfish Heterobanchus longifilis (Siluriformes, Clariidae) in an aquarium - Preliminary Results. |
| Registered Keepers | (1) arapaima. 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 |
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| Hits | 8783 hits. |
| Last Update | 2011 Oct 05 12:12 (species record created: 2001 Oct 02 00:00) |
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