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Scientific Name Heterobranchus bidorsalis  Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1809
Common Name
Type Locality Nile River
Synonym(s) Heterobranchus geoffroyi, Heterobranchus intermedius, Heterobranchus senegalensis
Pronunciation Het err o brach us
Etymology Heterobranchus: From the Greek heteros, meaning different and branchos, meaning fin; in reference to the presence of the two dorsal fins (rayed and adipose). 
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 1500mm or 59.1" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Head oval-shaped to rectangular dorsally; snout broadly rounded; eyes rather laterally placed. Frontal fontanelle long and narrow; occipital fontanelle relatively long and oval shaped. `Postorbital' bones completely united. Suprabranchial organ well developed. Pectoral spine smooth. Openings of secondary sensory canals with regular geometric pattern. Body and fins occasionally with irregularly placed spots.
Sexing The genital papilla, which is right below the anus, is elongated and pointy in males while it is round and relatively larger (and larger than the anus) in females. In ventral view especially, females are much broader in the body than males of equal age and rearing practices.
General Remarks Fishbase lists 150 cm TL.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Africa: Nile. Africa: Chad basin, Niger, Upper Volta, Guinea and Senegal. Also known from the Gambia River
African Waters, Nile (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Chad (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Nigeria Waters, Niger (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Gambia (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Sénégal (click on these areas to find other species found there)
African Waters, Volta, Upper Volta (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2019.
Temperature 22.0-28.0°C or 71.6-82.4°F (Show species within this range)
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Poissons du Nil v. 1 (part 1), pp [328], Pls. 16 (figs. 2, 5), 17 (figs. 8-9).
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Heterobranchus bidorsalis QR code LFS label creator
Last Update 2019 Oct 06 07:44 (species record created: 2004 Dec 03 00:00)