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Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Bagrus bajad  (Fabricius, 1775)
Common Name Black Nile Catfish
Type Locality Nile River, Egypt.
Synonym(s) Bagrus bayad, Bagrus bayad macropterus, Porcus bajad, Porcus bayad, Porcus docmac bayad, Silurus bajad
Pronunciation BAG russ - BAH yard
Etymology The generic name comes from the Mozarabic bagre, taken from the Greek pagros, meaning a fish (Dentex sp.). The specific epithet comes from the Arabic name of the fish (bayad).
Down Species Information
Size 1120mm or 44.1" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Distinguished in having dorsal fin rays produced into short filaments, predorsal distance 2.4-2.6 times in standard length and head width 1.7-2.2 times in head length.
Sexing Males have an elongate genital papilla in front of the anal fin.
General Remarks Occurs in water less than 12 m deep. Preys on small fish, particularly Alestes spp., also feeds on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, vegetable matter.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution Africa: Nile River, Lake Chad, Niger and Sénégal River, Lakes Mobutu (Lake Albert) and Turkana. Reported from Sanaga River basin.
African Waters, Chad (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Nile (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Nigeria Waters, Niger (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Western Rift Valley Lakes, Albert (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Eastern Rift Valley Lakes, Turkana (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Cameroon waters, Sanaga (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2020.
pH 6.4 - 8.0
Temperature 21.0-27.0°C or 69.8-80.6°F (Show species within this range)
Down Husbandry Information
Feeding Readily feeds on live/frozen foods and other prepared foods such as pellets. Will eat smaller fishes. User data.
Furniture Provide plenty of driftwood as hiding places.
Compatibility Although young fish can be kept with other fish of equal or larger sizes, adult fish are aggressive and should be kept alone.€
Breeding Not reported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Down Further Information
Reference Descriptiones animalium (Forsskål), pp 66, xiii.
Registered Keepers There is but a single registered keeper, view all "my cats" data.
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There are 2 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2020 Oct 05 00:57 (species record created: 2003 Aug 30 00:00)