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he Doumea genus belongs to the Doumeinae subfamily with D. typica being the type species with the holotype being collected in the Doumé Falls, Gabon. At the moment (2022) there are nine described species including our factsheet of the month, D.angolensis Boulenger, 1906, D. chappuisi Pellegrin, 1933, D. gracila Skelton, 2007, D. reidi Ferraris, Skelton & Vari, 2010, D. sanaga Skelton, 2007, D. skeltoni Ferraris & Vari, 2014, D. stilicauda Ferraris, Skelton & Vari, 2010, and D. thysi Skelton, 1989. A few of these species can be told apart from the length and proportion of the caudal peduncle. All of these species are not very well known in the hobby.

Doumea typica

These catfish are slim and elongated and possess bony projections (plates) that radiate from the vertabrae reaching all the way to the skin. The projections expand over the skins surface, forming a shield that in some species covers much of the body. They lack a swimbladder so they tend to avoid open waters.

Doumea typica - dorsal view

A Lower Guinea endemic, known from Gabon and Congo in the Biguilé River to the Louémé River, widespread in the Ogowe basin. Coastal and other eastern rivers from Cameroon to Congo.

None

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Doumeinae

Africa: Congo River basin and coastal rivers from Cameroon to Congo. Type locality: Doumé (rivière Ogôoué).

13.0.cm (5¼ins)

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Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: gap between supraoccipital process and nuchal shield narrow, not greater than width of supraoccipital process; postorbit 40-50% snout length; caudal peduncle long (3-3.9 times in SL), slender (length 14.3 times depth) and depressed.

Not a well known species and genera but good aquarium husbandry with regular water changes and good oxygen flow should suffice.

Not reported.

Not recorded.

Classed as "Epibenthic" which would entail these catfish grazing in flowing water. Mosquito larvae, tablet foods and any foods which would lie on the top of the substrate should be the feeding norm for these catfish.

Anal fin: The median, unpaired, ventrally located fin that lies behind the anus, usually on the posterior half of the fish.
Caudal peduncle: The narrow part of a fish's body to which the caudal or tail fin is attached.
Dorsal fin: The primary rayed fin(s) on top of the body.
Epibenthic: Refers to organisms that live on or just above the bottom sediments in a body of water. These organisms, many of which support commercial and recreational fisheries, tend to forage on the creatures that live in or on the sediments.
Nuchal shield: Area between the skull and dorsal fin.
Swimbladder: The air sac that gives fish buoyancy and balance. Acts as sound resonator in some fish.
Supraoccipital process: Unpaired bone at the back of the skull, usually with a crest.

Doumea: From Doumé, a locality in Congo (Africa).

Photo Credits

© Joe Cutler @  
Map: Bourrichon - Wikimedia Commons.