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Chrysichthys johnelsi Daget, 1959

Image contributors to this species:

Rob Palmer (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: snout rectangular, neither rounded nor pointed, its length equal to mouth width; mouth very broad; premaxillary tooth plate broad (width 30-37% of head length); occipital process well developed, its width 57-87% (average = 70%) of its length. Habitat: This species is known from upper Guinea rivers including the Gambia, Geba, Taja, Moa, Mano, Loffa, St. Pauls, St. Johns, Nipoué and Tano. However, its presence in Bia and several basins of Guinea must still be proven and its presence in Tano confirmed by other specimens (Risch 2003). Colouration: The specimens from the Gambia are grey with a silvery sheen, but further south, particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone, they become increasingly yellowish. (Seegers L. 2008). Diet: The diet of this species is insect larvae when young to a predator on fish when growing into adulthood. Etymology: The specific name johnelsi: In honour of Swedish zoologist and fisheries biologist Alf G. Johnels (1916–2010), Swedish Museum of Natural History, who observed and reported the first specimens in 1954. Remarks: This species is widespread in Upper Guinea rivers where it has no widespread major threats. It is therefore assessed as Least Concern (IUCN 2020).

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Claroteidae

Distribution:

Africa: Rivers of the upper Guinea region, including the Geba, Taja, Moa, Mano, Loffa, St. Pauls, St. Johns, Nipoué and Tano rivers. Type locality: Gambie à Bafoulabé (parc national du Niokolo-Koba).

Size:

33.0cm. (13¼ins)

Temp:

24-28°C (75-83°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.5.

Reference:

Diallo, I., Lalèyè, P. & Bousso, T. 2020. Chrysichthys johnelsi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020.
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, ( 06/2022 ).
Risch, L.M., 2003. Claroteidae. p. 60-96 In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France. 815 p.
Seegers, L., 2008. The catfishes of Africa: A handbook for identification and maintenance. Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

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

Chrysichthys johnelsi
Tonkolili, Sierra Leone

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