SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Clarias stappersii Boulenger, 1915

Image contributors to this species:

Russell Brian Tate (1) Nkosinathi Mazungula (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 60-80; Anal soft rays: 56 - 63; Vertebrae: 58 - 61. Characterized by its lateral line which appears as a thick white band; barbels extremely short. Head long, broad and flattened. Frontal fontanelle long and extremely narrow. Occipital fontanelle rather small. The `dermosphenotic' and supraorbital bones are separated. Tooth plate extremely broad. Pectoral spine straight and robust. Suprabranchial organ well developed but not completely filling the chamber. Habitat: Occurs in well-vegetated sluggish river channels and floodplain lagoons. Colouration: Dark brown base colour, irregularly spotted with black and dark brown. The lateral line is clearly visible as a prominent white line or band extending to the middle of the caudal fin base. Reproduction: Breeds during the summer rainy season. Diet: Eats invertebrates and, when older, other fishes. Remarks: This species has a wide distribution, with no known major widespread threats. It is, however, threatened in the Lake Malawi catchment, where it has been recorded only in the Limphasa Dambo in streams and irrigation channels, and in very small numbers, with only two specimens found in 1992 (Tweddle and Skelton, 1993). Since then, there has been a large increase in human population in the area and the Limphasa River is now more turbid with loss of riparian vegetation. This may affect the status in Malawi and the Limphasa population, if assessed would likely be considered Endangered. It is, however, widespread and not threatened throughout the rest of its range, and is therefore listed as Least Concern (IUCN Red List).

Common Name:

Blotched catfish

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Clariidae

Distribution:

Africa: Luapula-Moero system (upper Congo River basin), upper Kasai drainage (middle Congo River basin), Kafue River, upper Zambezi system, Cunene River and Okavango. Type locality: Ruisseau affluent de la Lukinda, Tanganika-Moero.

Size:

41.0cm. (16½ins)

Temp:

23-28°c (73-83°f)

p.H.

6.5-8.0.

Reference:

Clarias stappersii Boulenger, 1915 collected in Angola by South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2022. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (07/2022).
Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance. Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.
Teugels, G.G., 1986. A systematic revision of the African species of the genus Clarias (Pisces; Clariidae). Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 247:199 p
Tweddle, D., Kazembe, J., Marshall, B. & Moelants, T. 2018. Clarias stappersii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018.

Family: Clariidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Clarias stappersii
Kasai River (Cassai) Headwaters-Angola

Clarias stappersii
Below the outlet of the Cuanavale source lake-Angola

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.