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Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Schilbe intermedius  Rüppell, 1832
Common Names Silver Butter Catfish
Afrikanischer Silberwels (Germany), Botterbaber (South Africa), Butter Catfish, Butterfish, Grasscutter, Silver Catfish, Silwerbaber (South Africa), Sølv-smørmalle (Denmark)
Type Locality Lower Nile River, Egypt.
Synonym(s) Bagrus depressirostris, Eutropius lemairii, Schilbe steindachneri, Schilbe auratus, Schilbe bouvieri, Schilbe dispila, Schilbe emini, Schilbe palmeri, Schilbe palmeri, Schilbe senegalensis fasciata, Schilbe senegallus
Pronunciation skill bee - in ter meed ee uss
Etymology Referring to certain intermediate characters of this species between Schilbe uranoscopus and some specimens of the species itself.
Down Species Information
Size 605mm or 23.8" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification There are two populations of the species one with and one without an adipose fin.Roughly speaking the ones without an adipose fin are from the north and west of Africa. The populations with an adipose fin are from the central, east and south of Africa. It is a widespread species.Quite distinctive. Large shovel mouth surrounded by 4-6 nasal barbs. Eyes slightly protrude from head.
Anal fin long, extending from vent almost to origin of caudal fin. Four pairs of short, circum-oral barbels. Silver-grey, somewhat darker above.
General Remarks Largest specimen measured 60,5 cms (TL), but normally this species won't grow much larger than 30 cms (SL). Source: FishBase.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution Africa: Senegal, Gambia, Casamance, Corubal, Geba, Sassandra, Boubo, Bandama, Agnébi, Comoé, Tano, Pra, Volta, Mono, Ouémé, Ogun, Niger, Chad and Cross River basins. Africa: Nile River in Sudan. Reported from the Okavango Delta, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa,
African Waters, Sénégal (click on these areas to find other species found there)
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, Geba, Corubal (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Geba (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Côte de Ivoire Waters, Sassandra (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Côte de Ivoire Waters, Boubo (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Côte de Ivoire Waters, Bandama (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Côte de Ivoire Waters, Agnébi (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Côte de Ivoire Waters, Comoé (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Pra (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Volta (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Tano (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Mono (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Ouémé (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Nigeria Waters, Ogun (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, Chad (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Cross (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Nile, Middle Nile (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 2019.
Down Husbandry Information
Feeding Not a fussy eater. Will eat most catfish pellets willingly. Bloodworm a favourite and will also take lancefish. User data.
Furniture Prefers large open spaces.
Compatibility Not aggressive. Better in groups of 3 or more as they like to stick together. Large specimens will eat small fish or fry.
Suggested Tankmates Community fish of reasonable size (not under 5cm).
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Down Further Information
Reference Fortsetzung der Beschreibung und Abbildung meherer neuer Fische, pp 6.
Registered Keepers There are 11 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
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Spotters Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars!
There are 10 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2020 Oct 24 05:41 (species record created: 2001 Apr 21 00:00)