AquaticRepublic.com - Clarias alluaudi (Clariidae) All Fishes

Habitat: Papyrus swamp 8 km north of Nkozi, Uganda
Habitat: Papyrus swamp, Uganda
Habitat: Papyrus swamp, Uganda
Video: collecting in the wild
Video
Juvenile
Juvenile
Close-up of head
Close-up of tail

All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Clarias alluaudi** Boulenger, 1906
Common Names	Alluaud's Walking Catfish Ssemutundu (Ugandan)
Type Locality	Lake Victoria [Victoria Nyanza].
Synonym(s)	Clarias hilgendorfi
Pronunciation	klar ee ass
Etymology	Clarias: From the Greek chlaros, meaning lively; in reference to the ability of the fish to live for long periods out of water. In honour of C. Alluaud.
Species Information
Size	350mm or 13.8" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Clarias species are characterized by having an elongated body; a soft rayed dorsal fin extending to, or nearly to, the caudal fin base; a soft rayed anal fin extending from just behind the anus to the caudal fin base; pectoral fins each with a serrated anterior bony spine; head depressed, covered largely by firmly sutured, surface sculptured bony plates forming a protective helmet; four pairs of flagellate barbels (nasals, maxillaries, inner and outer mandibulars); air breathing organs derived from the 2nd and 4th epibranchials within a superbranchial chamber. Dorsal soft rays (total): 65 - 79; Anal soft rays: 57 - 64; Vertebrae: 52 - 55. Pectoral fin spine serrated on both inner and outer sides. Head oval-shaped in dorsal outline; snout short and slightly rounded; eyes more dorsally located. Frontal fontanelle long and narrow (`knife-shaped'); occipital fontanelle long and oval-shaped. Supraorbital and `dermospenoticum' joined. Tooth plates relatively small. gill rakers long, slender and distantly set. Suprabranchial organ well developed. Openings of the secondary sensory canals regularly arranged on flanks.The whole fish is uniformly brownish, lighter on the belly, which never is whitish as for example in C.gariepinus.
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.
General Remarks	A standard length of 35cm would be very large for this species and is most likely a mix-up with another species, most stay under 20cm. In and around Lake Rukwa the fish is common in smaller streams or swamps of the basin outside the lake.Probably there is some kind of ecological competition and C. alluaud is displaced from the lake by the larger C.gariepinus.This species can even be found in mountain streams if there is not too much current.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Africa: Lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Edward, Rukwa and Tanganyika. African Waters, Western Rift Valley Lakes, Victoria (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Western Rift Valley Lakes, Edward (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Nile, Upper Nile, White Nile, Kyoga (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Western Rift Valley Lakes, Tanganyika (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Southern Rift Lakes, Rukwa (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2015.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	In the wild feeds mainly on insects, in the aquarium it is likely to be a typical clariid and be omnivorous and predatory, therefore will eat virtually anything that can be considered edible. User data.
Furniture	In the wild found in marginal water-lily and papyrus swamps, so very well rooted plants and structures such as pipes that provide some shade and hiding places.
Compatibility	Should be be housed with lively, robust fish.Keeping in mind the smaller adult size as compared to other species of it's genus.
Suggested Tankmates	Medium to larger sized barbs, Ctenopoma, mid-sized Lake Victoria cichlids.
Breeding	Not reported.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 7) v. 17 (no. 101) (art. 49), pp 437.
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 2 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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	Look up C. alluaudi on PlanetCatfish.com
	Look up C. alluaudi on Fishbase
	Look up C. alluaudi on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up C. alluaudi on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.6.8.2250
Last Update	2025 Jan 01 11:57 (species record created: 2009 Apr 08 23:31)