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Pardiglanis tarabinii Poll, Lanza & Romoli Sassi, 1972

Image contributors to this species:

Frants Lehmann (1 Stamp) Cyrille Le Déaut (2)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Very strange looking fish as the head is almost half as long as the body with a very wide head and large mouth with its gape extending to around the eye area. Habitat: Lives in mud at bottom of rivers. Latest (March 2000) male specimen caught in rather shallow water on the sandy bottom of the river, which had a very low water level following a long period of drought (in Kenya). Female (caught later in 2000). Aquarium Care: Not a catfish for the home aquarium as it is extremely predatory and would need to be fed on live fish. The other criteria is the large size it attains. This catfish is rare so it would probably never be seen in the hobby.

Common Name:

Somalian giant catfish

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Claroteidae

Distribution:

Africa: Restricted to the Juba River, Somalia and Lower Tana River in Kenya. Type locality: Gelib, fleuve Juba, Somalie méridionale.

Size:

75cm. (2ft. 6ins)

Temp:

23-26°C (73-79°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.0.

Reference:

De Vos, L. 2001 Rediscovery of the giant catfish Pardiglanis tarabinii (Siluriformes: Claroteidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 12(3):213-214.
Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance. Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.

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

Pardiglanis tarabinii
Stamp

Pardiglanis tarabinii
Dorsal view of head

Pardiglanis tarabinii

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