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Parailia spiniserrata Svensson, 1933

Image contributors to this species:

Lawrence Kent (2)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal soft rays: 55 - 70. Diagnosis: dorsal and adipose fin absent; pectoral-fin spine strongly denticulate; 55-70 soft rays in anal fin; 20-21 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch. Habitat: Confined to large or moderate rivers. Reproduction: Oviparous, eggs are unguarded. Distinct pairing. Aquarium Care: Better to be kept in groups of at least four as they will not do too well as solitary animals. Quite a delicate catfish for the aquarium so would need good filtration and water changes adhered to. Diet: In its natural habitat it feeds mainly on aquatic and small terrestrial insects. In the aquarium, Daphnia and frozen mosquito larvae. Etymology: The generic name of para-, near, referring to similarity to Ailia (now in Ailiidae), from which it differs in the absence of vomerine teeth and adipose fin. The specific name of spiniserrata: spinus, spine; serrata, toothed like a saw, referring to pectoral fin “rather strongly serrated in its inner side”. Remarks: The species is relatively widely distributed in western Africa with no known major widespread threats. It is therefore assessed as Least Concern (IUCN 2019).

Common Name:

Butterfish

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Schilbeidae

Distribution:

Africa: Gambia, Geba and Jong River basins, western Africa. Type locality: MacCarthy Island Area, Gambia River, British West Africa.

Size:

5.5cm. (2¼ins)

Temp:

23-26°C (73-79°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.2.

Reference:

Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen, 1966. Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Dankwa, H., Bousso, T. & Lalèyè, P. 2020. Parailia spiniserrata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020.
De Vos, L., 2003. Schilbeidae. p. 97-116 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.
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. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (09/2023).

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

Parailia spiniserrata

Parailia spiniserrata

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