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Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepède, 1803)

 

Image contributors to this species:

Hippocampus Bildarchiv (2) Allan James (2) Brian Sidauskas (2) Russell Brian Tate (2) Joe Cutler (2)

ScotCat Sources:

Factsheet  Etymology = Genus  Etymology = Genus

Other Sources:

Search  Fishbase  Catalog of Fishes  Global Biodiversity Information Facility  FishNet2  iNaturalist

Relevant Information:

Its flesh is reported to be quite good and they are fished out of Lake Togo using all types of capture methods including nets and weirs. The last two thumbnail images represent a capture by the image contributor in the Ogooue-Ivindo, Gabon. Habitat: Occurs in shallow waters of lakes (less than 4m), over mud and fine sand bottom. Reproduction: The males when fully grown usually have a broader head which they use to dig out their breeding nests in their native habitat. Aquarium Care: Peaceful as youngsters but not to be trusted as they grow with smaller fish. Should do all right with larger fish such as Cichlids and the larger Barbs such as the 'Tinfoil', Barbonymus schwanenfeldii. Diet: Omnivorous, feeds on seeds, insects, bivalves and detritus. Feeding becomes specialized with age and size, larger fish may feed on decapods and fish. It is basically a food fish in its native African waters where it can grow to excess of 50cm (18").

Common Name:

Silver cat

Synonyms:

Pimelodus nigrodigitatus, Arius acutivelis, Melanodactylus nigrodigitatus, Chrysichthys acutirostris, C. büttkoferi, C.ogowensis, C.macrops, C. coriscanus, C.lagoensis.

Family:

Claroteidae

Distribution:

Africa: Senegal to Cabinda, Angola.

Size:

50.0cm. (18ins)

Temp:

23-26°C (73-79°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.2.

Reference:

ScotCat Factsheet no. 27. Sept. 1998.



Back to Family page

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

Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Head view
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Mouth view
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Caught in the Ivory Coast.
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Head view-caught in the Ivory Coast.
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Juvenile-Ogooue-Ivindo, Gabon
Click for full imageChrysichthys nigrodigitatus
Juvenile dorsal view-Ogooue-Ivindo, Gabon

 

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