Bagrus
bajad (Forsskål, 1775) |
| |
| Image
contributors to this species: |
|
Frants
Lehmann (1 stamp) |
| ScotCat
Sources: |
|
| Other
Sources: |
 
|
| |
| Relevant
Information: |
Found in lakes, swamps
and rivers. Avoids salt water. Spends nearly the whole of the daylight
hours in crevices of rocks and is therefor seldom seen and lives
and feeds on or near the bottom. Adults exclusively piscivorous.
Preys on small fish, particularly Alestes spp, or Chrysichthys
auratus as in Lake Kainji; also feeds on insects, crustaceans,
mollusks and vegetable matter. Efficiency of catching prey catfish
is maximised by face to face attack, avoiding damage by dorsal and
pectoral spines of the prey. There is some indication that the species
comes to shallower water to breed with the spawning season extending
from April to July. The parents build and guard the nest, which
is like a flat disc with a central hole where the eggs are dropped.
The size of the nest and the central hole depend on the size of
the fish. Males become up to 7 years old, females 8 years. Mean
sizes and weight of males are less than those of females from the
same age. An important food fish and the flesh is good eating and
of economic importance, and commonly sold as food. Reputed to reach
100,000 g. Aquarium Care: This is an aggresive
catfish and would need to be housed in a large tank. If keeping
with tankmates they would need to be as large or kept on its own.
Diet: Fish, trout and carp pellets. On the Red
List but of least concern and no major threats impacting the whole
population (2006). |
| Common
Name: |
Bayad |
| Synonyms: |
Silurus
bajad, Porcus bajad, Porcus bayad, Bagrus bayad, Bagrus bayad bayad,
Porcus docmac bayad, Bagrus bayed macropterus
Pfaff, 1933, Bagrus bayad macropterus Pfaff, 1933
|
| Family: |
Bagridaemblycipitidae |
| Distribution: |
Africa: Lakes Chad, Mobutu and Turkana; Nile, Niger,
and Senegal rivers. Type locality: in Nile. |
| Size:
|
70cm (
28ins) |
| Temp: |
22-28°C
(71-83°F) |
| p.H. |
6.5-8.0. |
| Reference: |
Froese, R. and
D. Pauly. Editors. 2009.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic
publication. www.fishbase.org, version (11/2009).
Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl 1995 Aquarien Atlas.
Band 4. Mergus Verlag GmbH, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde,
Melle, Germany. 864 p. |
|
|
