African sharptooth catfish

Clarias gariepinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Clariidae
Genus:	Clarias
Species:	C. gariepinus
Binomial name
Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822
Synonyms
Silurus gariepinus Burchell, 1822 Macropteronotus charmuth Lacepède, 1803 Clarias capensis Valenciennes, 1840 Clarias lazera Valenciennes, 1840 Clarias syriacus Valenciennes, 1840 Clarias mossambicus Peters, 1852 Clarias macracanthus Günther, 1864 Clarias orontis Günther, 1864 Clarias xenodon Günther, 1864 Clarias robecchii Vinciguerra, 1893 Clarias smithii Günther, 1896 Clarias microphthalmus Pfeffer, 1896 Clarias guentheri Pfeffer, 1896 Clarias longiceps Boulenger, 1899 Clarias longiceps Boulenger, 1899 Clarias moorii Boulenger, 1901 Clarias tsanensis Boulenger, 1902 Clarias vinciguerrae Boulenger, 1902 Clarias malaris Nichols & Griscom, 1917 Clarias notozygurus Lönnberg & Rendahl, 1922 Clarias depressus Myers, 1925 Clarias muelleri Pietschmann, 1939

Clarias gariepinus or African sharptooth catfish is a species of catfish of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes.

They are found throughout Africa and the Middle East, and live in freshwater lakes, rivers, and swamps, as well as human-made habitats, such as oxidation ponds or even urban sewage systems.

The African sharptooth catfish was introduced all over the world in the early 1980s for aquaculture purposes, so is found in countries far outside its natural habitat, such as Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.

The African sharptooth catfish is a large, eel-like fish, usually of dark gray or black coloration on the back, fading to a white belly. In Africa, this catfish has been reported as being second in size only to the vundu of the Zambesian waters, although FishBase suggests the African sharptooth catfish surpasses that species in both maximum length and weight.

C. gariepinus has an average adult length of 1–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in–4 ft 11 in). It reaches a maximum length of 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) TL and can weigh up to 60 kg (130 lb). These fish have slender bodies, flat bony heads, notably flatter than in the genus Silurus, and broad, terminal mouths with four pairs of barbels. They also have large accessory breathing organs composed of modified gill arches. Also, only the pectoral fins have spines.

It is a nocturnal fish like many catfish. It feeds on living, as well as dead, animal matter. Because of its wide mouth, it is able to swallow relatively large prey whole. It has been known to take large waterbirds such as the common moorhen. It is also able to crawl on dry ground to escape drying pools. Further, it is able to survive in shallow mud for long periods of time, between rainy seasons.

...
Wikipedia