All FishesClariidaeBathyclarias  |  | 

Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Bathyclarias nyasensis  (Worthington, 1933)
Common Name Sapuwa
Type Locality Lake Malawi [Lake Nyasa], southeastern Africa.
Synonym(s) Clarias nyasensis, Dinotopterus nyasensis
Pronunciation bath ee klar ee ass.
Etymology From the Greek bathys meaning deep and clarias also from the Greek chlaros, meaning lively; in reference to the ability of clarias to live for long periods out of water. 
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 1000mm or 39.4" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification The small, laterally placed eyes that bulge out from the outline of the head is a key characteristic for distinguishing Bathyclarias from Clarias.

B. nyasensis can be distinguished from the other species of Bathyclarias by having all of the following characters (adapted from Greenwood, 1961: 230):
1. Gill rakers long, length of longest gill raker (on outer arch) divided by length of longest gill filament = 0.7-1.0;
2. Body relatively slender;
3. Maxillary barbel contained 1.8-2.2 times in head length.
Sexing The genital papilla, which is to the right of the anus as you look at the fish with its head to the left, is elongated and pointed 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.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi.
African Waters, Zambesi, Malawi (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 2018.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Occurs in open water and mainly filters zooplankton. Also feeds on small fishes and insect larvae. User data.
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 2, pp 308, Fig. 9.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2020 Mar 17 02:00 (species record created: 2004 Apr 04 00:00)