/siluriformes/amphiliidae/amphilius/uranoscopus/1.jpg "Amphilius uranoscopus")
/siluriformes/amphiliidae/amphilius/uranoscopus/2.jpg "Amphilius uranoscopus")
Close-up of unculi on the ventral surface of the pectoral spine/siluriformes/amphiliidae/amphilius/uranoscopus/3.jpg "Amphilius uranoscopus")
/siluriformes/amphiliidae/amphilius/uranoscopus/4.jpg "Amphilius uranoscopus")
Dorsal view/siluriformes/amphiliidae/amphilius/uranoscopus/5.jpg "Amphilius uranoscopus")
Karum River, Kenya 5400 ft
 All Fishes Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Amphilius uranoscopus (Pfeffer, 1889) |
| Common Names | Stargazer Mountain Catfish Gewone Bergbaber (South Africa), Stjernekiggermalle (Denmark) |
| Type Locality | Ushonda and Monda, upper ranges of Wami R., Tanzania. |
| Synonym(s) | Amphilius grandis |
| Pronunciation | ahm FILL ee us |
| Etymology | Amphilius: Not clear; probably from the Greek amphi, meaning both sides and leios, meaning smooth. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 195mm or 7.7" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Identification | Most amphiliid species are found in fast-flowing water of clear, rocky streams at high elevations or rapids of large lowland rivers (Berra 2001; Roberts 2003).basins (Seegers et al. 2003). Species of Amphilius are adapted for fast flow and rocky habitats (Skelton 1986). Morphological adaptations for these habitats include expanded pectoral and pelvic fins with a thickened first ray, depressed body, dorsally directed eyes and reduced swim bladder (Skelton 1986; Walsh et al. 2000). The large pelvic fins form, in conjunction with the body, a feeble sucking disc that enables the fish to cling to rocks (Jackson 1961b). |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | Africa: Widespread in central and east Africa. Known from the Tana River, Kenya to Pongolo River, Natal. Also known from the Okavango, Zambezi systems, and east coast rivers south to the Mkuze system in northern Natal. African Waters, Zambesi, Upper Zambesi (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Okavango (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Maputo, Pongolo (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Mkuze (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Tana (click on these areas to find other species found there) Log in to view data on a map. |
| IUCN Red List Category | Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2018. |
| Temperature | 20.0-25.0°C or 68-77°F (Show species within this range) |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Feeding | Feeds mainly on insects and small organisms from the substrate. User data. |
| Furniture | Rocky substrate is the natural habitat. Flowing water. |
| Breeding | Unreported. |
| Breeding Reports | There is no breeding report. |
| Further Information | |
| Reference | Jahrbuch der Hamburgischen Wissenschaftlichen Anstalten v. 6 (art. 4), pp 16. |
| Registered Keepers | There is no registered keeper. |
| Wishlists | Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is no wish to keep this species. |
| Spotters | Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 3 records of this fish being seen, view them all. |
| Forum BBCode | |
 | Look up A. uranoscopus on PlanetCatfish.com |
 | Look up A. uranoscopus on Fishbase |
 | Look up A. uranoscopus on Encyclopedia of Life |
 | Look up A. uranoscopus on Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
 | LFS label creator |
| Last Update | 2020 Sep 19 02:10 (species record created: 2005 Jun 19 00:00) |