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Mohamad Fathi (1) Acarie Baron (1)

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 1; Anal soft rays: 59 - 73; Vertebrae: 50 - 57. Diagnosis: 13-16 gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch; 57-75 branched anal-fin rays; eyes positioned dorso-laterally; adipose fin always absent. Often with a post-occipital hump, a character also sometimes found in Schilbe intermedius whose head profile is extremely variable. Posterior nostrils closer to each other than are anterior ones; nasal barbel at maximum reaching to midway between eye and opercle, but generally shorter; inner side of pectoral spine feebly serrated. Habitat: Adapted to riverine and lacustrine conditions; appears to live mainly in the open waters. Reproduction: Oviparous, eggs are unguarded. Maturity is attained during July and August and spawning takes place during August and September. It probably spawns in the flood season when it migrates to rivers and deltas (Bailey 1994). Aquarium Care: Needs a large tank as this is a schooling species and will not do well as singe specimens. Larger specimens may attack other inmates of the aquarium. They seem to prefer a darker substrate. Diet: Predatory, carnivorous but not strictly piscivorous; young essentially entomophagous (eat insects including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates). In the aquarium they will eat most prepared foods including fish. Etymology: The specific name is from the Greek 'ouranos' (sky) and 'skopos' (literally watchman, 'skopeoo' means to look at), referring to the supero-lateral position of the eyes. Remarks: Schilbe uranoscopus has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020 and is listed as Least Concern.

Egyptian butter catfish

Schilbe isidori

Schilbeidae

Africa: Niger (Lake Kainji and further downstream), Cross and Chad basins. Also in the Nile and Lake Turkana system. Type locality: Ägypten, Nil bei Cairo.

36.0cm. (14½ins)

23-26°C (73-79°F)

6.5-7.2.

Diallo, I., Akinyi, E., Awaïss, A., Azeroual, A., Getahun, A., Lalèyè, P. & Moelants, T. 2020. Schilbe uranoscopus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020.
De Vos, L., 1995. A systematic revision of the African Schilbeidae (Teleostei, Siluriformes). With an annotated bibliography. Ann. Mus. R. Afr. Centr., Sci. Zool., 271:1-450.
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.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 07/2023 ).
Riehl, R. and H.A. Baensch 1991 Aquarien Atlas. Band. 1. Melle: Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde, Germany. 992 p.