Clarias dhonti • Clariidae • Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Clarias dhonti** (Boulenger, 1920)
Common Name(s)	None
Type Locality	Kabeke, a village 30 miles south of Tumbwe, on the Niemba River, near west coast of Lake Tanganyika.
Synonym(s)	Allabenchelys dhonti
Pronunciation	klar ee ass
Etymology	Clarias: From the Greek chlaros, meaning lively; in reference to the ability of the fish to live for long periods out of water.
Species Information
Size	165mm (6.5") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Clarias species are characterized by having an elongated body; a soft rayed dorsal fin extending to, or nearly to, the caudal fin base; a soft rayed anal fin extending from just behind the anus to the caudal fin base; pectoral fins each with a serrated anterior bony spine; head depressed, covered largely by firmly sutured, surface sculptured bony plates forming a protective helmet; four pairs of flagellate barbels (nasals, maxillaries, inner and outer mandibulars); air breathing organs derived from the 2nd and 4th epibranchials within a superbranchial chamber.
Sexing	The genital papilla, which is to the right of the anus as you look at the fish with its head to the left, is elongated and pointed in males while it is round and relatively larger (and larger than the anus) in females. In ventral view especially, females are much broader in the body than males of equal age and rearing practices.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Africa: known only from the rivers Niemba and Koki, west of Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of the Congo. African Waters, Congo, Upper Congo, Lualaba, Lukuga, Niemba (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Western Rift Valley Lakes, Tanganyika, Koki (click on these areas to find other species found there) (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)
Husbandry Information
Suggested Tankmates	Large cyprinids (silver sharks, tinfoil or spanner barbs for example) or Central American cichlids.
Breeding	Unreported.
Further Information
References	Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1919 (pts 3-4), pp402, Fig. 8.
Registered Keepers	None.
Breeding Reports	None.
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Last Update	2013 Feb 06 09:15 (species record created: 2010 Aug 07 13:09)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Clarias dhonti (Boulenger, 1920)

Common Name(s)

None

Type Locality

Kabeke, a village 30 miles south of Tumbwe, on the Niemba River, near west coast of Lake Tanganyika.

Synonym(s)

Allabenchelys dhonti

Pronunciation

klar ee ass

Etymology

Clarias: From the Greek chlaros, meaning lively; in reference to the ability of the fish to live for long periods out of water.

Species Information

Size

165mm (6.5") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

Clarias species are characterized by having an elongated body; a soft rayed dorsal fin extending to, or nearly to, the caudal fin base; a soft rayed anal fin extending from just behind the anus to the caudal fin base; pectoral fins each with a serrated anterior bony spine; head depressed, covered largely by firmly sutured, surface sculptured bony plates forming a protective helmet; four pairs of flagellate barbels (nasals, maxillaries, inner and outer mandibulars); air breathing organs derived from the 2nd and 4th epibranchials within a superbranchial chamber.

Sexing

The genital papilla, which is to the right of the anus as you look at the fish with its head to the left, is elongated and pointed in males while it is round and relatively larger (and larger than the anus) in females. In ventral view especially, females are much broader in the body than males of equal age and rearing practices.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Africa: known only from the rivers Niemba and Koki, west of Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
African Waters, Congo, Upper Congo, Lualaba, Lukuga, Niemba (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Western Rift Valley Lakes, Tanganyika, Koki (click on these areas to find other species found there)