PlanetCatfish.com - Clarias ngamensis (Clariidae) Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Clarias ngamensis** Castelnau, 1861
Common Names	Blunt-tooth Catfish Stomptandbaber (South Africa)
Type Locality	Lake Ngami, 17°50'S, 21°00'E, Botswana, South Africa.
Synonym(s)	Clarias melandi, Clarias nagamensis, Clarias nagamensis error, Clarias prentissgrayi, Dinopterus jallae, Dinopterus pentissgrayi, Dinotopteroides prentissgrayi, Dinotopterus jallae
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	730mm or 28.7" 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: Found in Quanza, Cunene, Okavango, Chobe, Lake Ngami, upper Zambezi (above Victoria Falls), Lake Malawi, upper Lualaba, Luapula , Lakes Moero and Bangweulu, Pungwe, Buzi, Save, Limpopo, Incomati, lower Pongolo and lower Sabi, Lundi system. Also known from the Kafue, Zambian Congo, lower Shire African Waters, Cuanza (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Cunene (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Okavango (Cubango) (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Zambesi, Upper Zambesi (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Zambesi, Chobe (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Zambesi, Kafue (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Zambesi, Malawi (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Congo, Upper Congo, Lualaba (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Congo, Upper Congo, Lualaba, Mweru, Luapula (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Congo, Upper Congo, Lualaba, Mweru (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Congo, Upper Congo, Lualaba, Mweru, Luapula, Bangweolo (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Pungwe (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Save (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Limpopo (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Incomati (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Maputo, Pongolo (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Save, Lundi (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 2018.
Husbandry Information
Suggested Tankmates	Large cyprinids (silver sharks, tinfoil or spanner barbs for example) or Central American cichlids.
Breeding	Unreported.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Mémoire sur les poissons de l'Afrique australe, pp 63.
Registered Keepers	There is no registered keeper.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There is no record of this fish being seen.
Forum BBCode

	Search for C. ngamensis
	Look up C. ngamensis on AquaticRepublic.com
	Look up C. ngamensis on Fishbase
	Look up C. ngamensis on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up C. ngamensis on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.6.8.2402
Last Update	2025 Jan 01 11:57 (species record created: 2010 Jan 27 15:38)