PlanetCatfish.com - Auchenoglanis occidentalis (Auchenoglanididae) Cat-eLog

Stamp
Adult

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Auchenoglanis occidentalis** (Valenciennes, 1840)
Common Names	Giraffe Catfish Afrikanischer Augenfleckenwels (Germany), Girafmalle (Denmark)
Type Locality	Senegal.
Synonym(s)	Auchenaspis occidentalis, Auchenoglanis biscutatus occidentalis, Auchenoglanis occidentalis occidentalis, Auchenoglanis occidentalis tanganyikanus, Pimelodus occidentalis
Pronunciation	awe sea dent al iss
Etymology	Auchenoglanis: From the Greek, auchenos, meaning neck and glanis, meaning catfish; in reference to the long cranial shield.
Articles	- CotM 1999 October
Species Information
Size	700mm or 27.6" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	The genus is diagnosed on the basis of a unique combination of characters: a deep and broad skull, narrow mouth, reduced pramaxillary tooth patches, anterior nostrils on the upper lip, and three large nuchal plates, the first which is in close proximity to the rear of the supraoccipital- a bone on the dorsal side of the great foramen(opening) of the skull. The adult body is uniformly dark brown on the sides of the body and dorsally and light brown ventrally. Juveniles are heavily spotted. The fins of adults are mostly dark but may have vague mottling. The maxillary barbels are very dark but the mandibular barbels are less dark but not white. The sides and top of the head are brown and without spots. The lower side of the head is white or light brown. the upper lip is dark but the lower lip is less pigmented. The anterior edge of the adipose fin rises gradually to its maximum height at the posterior end of the fin, well behind the mid-point of the fin.
Sexing	Unknown
General Remarks	There is a good chance the size potential of the different species of Auchenoglanis may be much bigger than what is shown on the data pages. Some of the current data comes from studies which do not always use fully grown adult fish, sizes will be adjusted as proof of larger adult sizes are revealed.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Africa: Nile, Lake Chad, West Africa, Congo-Lualaba River system, East African lakes, Omo River and Giuba River. African Waters, Gambia (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Casamance (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Sénégal (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2019.
pH	6.5 - 8.0
Temperature	21.0-25.0°C or 69.8-77°F (Show species within this range)
Husbandry Information
Feeding	This species will grow very quickly on a diet of live or frozen foods, but prepared foods are equally popular and easier on the budget. User data.
Furniture	In nature this fish is found living in both lakes and rivers, so the only real requirement is not too much bright light. Plants, although not eaten, will be uprooted in the search for food.
Compatibility	Downright sociable and safe with any fish larger than its relatively small mouth.
Suggested Tankmates	Ideally other medium to large sized African species (Distochodus springs to mind), this fish will also thrive in African Rift Lake Tanks, particularly the smaller Tanganyikan and Victorian cichlids. How about a large shoal of 30 Congo Tetras and one of these? For the non-purists, will do well with most appropriately sized tropical fish from any continent.
Breeding	Unknown - would require a very large aquarium.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Histoire naturelle des poissons v. 15, pp 203.
Registered Keepers	There are 48 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There are 3 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 13 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.243.70.149
Last Update	2020 Oct 08 11:53 (species record created: 2001 May 04 00:00)