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Species Fact Sheets

Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Clarias gariepinus: (click for more)

Synonyms
Macropteronotus charmuth Lacepde, 1803: 84-85 (status uncertain, synonim of Clarias anguillaris
or Clarias gariepinus ).
Silurus (Heterobranchus) gariepinus Burchell, 1822: 425 (original description).
Clarias lazera Valenciennes, 1840: 372.
Clarias syriacus Valenciennes, 1840: 375.
Clarias capensis Valenciennes, 1840: 377.
Clarias mossambicus Peters, 1852: 682.
Clarias orontis ,
Clarias macracanthus Gnther, 1864: 16 and Clarias xenodon.
Clarias robecchii Vinciguerra, 1893: 450.
Clarias guentheri Pfeffer, 1896: 28.
Clarias smithii Gnther, 1896: 219.
Clarias longiceps Boulenger, 1899: 103.
Clarias moorii Boulenger, 1901: 13.
Clarias tsanensis Boulenger, 1902: 438 and Clarias vinciguerrae.
Clarias malaris Nichols & Griscom, 1917: 705.
Clarias notozygurus Lnnberg & Rendhal, 1922: 125.
Clarias depressus Myers, 1925: 12.
Clarias muelleri Pietsmann, 1939: 184.

FAO Names
En - North African catfish, Fr - Poisson-chat nord-africain, Sp - Pez-gato.
3Alpha Code: CLZ Taxonomic Code: 1411803003

Diagnostic Features
Body elongate. Head large, depressed and bony with small eyes. Narrow and angular occipital process; gill
openings wide; air-breathing labyrinthic organ arising from gill arches; first gill arch with 24 to 110 gillrakers;
cleithrum pointed, narrow with longitudinal ridges and with sharpness. Mouth terminal, large. Four pairs of
barbels present. Long dorsal and anal fins; without dorsal fin spine and adipose fin. Anterior edge of pectoral
spine serrated. Caudal fin rounded. Colour varies from sandy-yellow through gray to olive with dark greenishbrown markings, belly white.
Can be confused with: The morphology of the cleithrum appears as a useful character to distinguish the
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

closely related catfish species, Clarias anguillaris and C. gariepinus . Elsewhere, the difference seems less
distinct, although the presence of a pointed cleithrum is typical for C. gariepinus (Benech et al ., 1993).

Geographical Distribution

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

5000 km
2000 nmi

Launch the Aquatic Species Distribution

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Species distribution
Cl ar i as gar i epi nus

Base layers
FAO f ishing ar eas

200 naut ical m iles ar cs

Native of Africa, Niger and Nile Rivers. Also extending to southern Africa, in the Limpopo, Orange-Vaal,
Okavango and Cunene River systems; and to the Levant with Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Widely
introduced to other parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. Trade restricted in Germany. Several countries report
adverse ecological impact after.

Habitat and Biology

Freshwater, widely tolerant of extreme environmental conditions.The presence of an accessory breathing organ
enables this species to breathe air when very active or under very dry conditions.Bottom feeder which
occasionally feeds at the surface. Omnivorous, a general scavenger. Feeds on insects, crabs, plankton, snails
and fish but also take young birds, rotting flesh, plants and fruits.During intra-specific aggressive interactions,
this species was noted to generate electric organ discharges that were monophasic, head-positive and lasting
from 5-260 ms.
Spawning (between July to December) takes place during the rainy season in flooded deltas.

Size
To 150 cm; max. weight 60 kg. The record individual from the country of Malawi was 16.1 Kg

Interest to Fisheries
One of the commercially most important freshwater fishes in Africa. Caught with drawnets. The total catch
reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 27 220 t. The countries with the largest catches were Mali (15
091 t) and Nigeria (9 994 t).
Has been imported for purposes of aquaculture and gamefish. Marketed live, fresh and frozen; eaten broiled,
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

fried and baked.

Global Capture Production for species (tonnes)
Source: FAO FishStat

75k

50k

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0k

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Clarias gariepinus

Global Aquaculture Production for species (tonnes)

Source: FAO FishStat

300k

200k

100k

0k

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Clarias gariepinus

Local Names
Afrikaans : Skerptandbaber .
Arabic : Abu shanab , Balbout , Garmut .
Bemba : Mulonge , Muta .
Dinka-Northeastern : Attek , Cik .
Dutch : Afrikaanse meerval .
English : African catfish , Barbel , Catfish , Common catfish , North African catfish , Sharptooth catfish .
French : Poisson-chat nord-africain .
Fulfulde/Pulaar : Baleewu .
German : Kiemensackwels , Welse .
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Hausa : Tarwada .
Hebrew : Sfamnun matzui .
Igbo : Arira .
Ijo : Imunu .
Japanese : Namazu .
Kanuri : Kemudu .
Khmer : Trey andaing afrik .
Krio : Harlei , T-nima , Thamba .
Nuer : Pet cick , Pet der .
Nupe : Ejengi .
Nyanja : Mlamba .
Polish : Stawada .
Russian : Yuzhnoafrikanskaya zubatka .
Shilluk : Cogo .
Sonink : Talage .
Spanish : Pez gato africano .
Swahili : Kambale , Kambale mumi , Kambali , Mlamba .
Wolof : Bambara , Toucouleurs , Yess .
Yoruba : Aro .

Related links
Check this species at FishBase

Bibliography
Species 2000 Dynamic (Checklist Query).
Benech, V., G.G. Teugels & G. Gourene - 1993Critre practique pour distinguer deux poisson-chats africains,
Clarias anguillaris et C. gariepinus (Siluriformes: Claridae). Cybium 17 (1): 83-85.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2003. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org
Rainboth, W.L. - 1996FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. . Fishes of the Cambodian
Mekong.RomeFAO. 265 pp.
Skelton, P.H. & G.G. Teugels - 1992 Neotype description for the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell,
1822) (Pisces: Siluroidei: Clariidae). Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. , 56:
1-8.
Vera, J. - 1992 Diccionario multilinge de especies marinas para el mundo hispano.Ministerio de Agricultura,
Pesca y Alimentacin. Secretaria General Tcnica. 1282 pp.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department