Auchenoglanis occidentalis
(Valenciennes, 1840)
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e stay on the African continent this month
but instead of sticking with the Mochokidae family from last month
(June 2005) we move on to a newish family, Claroteidae. The Giraffe
Catfish was a member of the African-Asian Bagridae family until
1991 when Mo split it up and constructed a new family, Claroteidae,
for the African Bagrids.
This Bagrid can grow to an impressive 46cm
(18¼ins) but it is basically a gentle giant and can be trusted
with anything that can not fit into its small mouth. Its long pointed
snout is well adapted to "sook" up worms and detritus
in the sandy substrate and as such you should provide your specimen(s)
with a sand floor to your aquarium with an external power filter
that has a good flow rate. It goes without saying of course that
you will need to provide this catfish with a spacious tank considering
its adult size.
It is very tolerant to most water parameters and as such you can
keep it in a low p.H. (6.5) with larger Characins or Barbs or even
in a Lake Tanganyika setup with Cichlids from that lake in harder
water, but my choice would be to stick with the former soft and
acidic conditions for a more contented individual(s).
Colouration can be variable in this species
with most specimens sporting a reticulated pattern resembling
the coat of a giraffe, hence its common name. Above you can see
a specimen that I photographed from the Port Doree Public Aquarium
in Paris, France which was captioned as A. occidentalis
but it may represent another close member of this family,
Parauchenoglanis punctatus.
Dorsal spines (total):
1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal spines: 3-4; Anal soft rays:
7-8. Head large with heavily built body.
Marbled or spotted gray, with a few black
spots arranged in rows resembling a reticulated pattern. Fins spotted,
belly creamy white.
Best suited to the larger aquarium. Peaceful
large catfish which will do well in company of larger characins
from Africa and large Barbs.
No reports on the breeding of this species
in captivity as it would need a very large tank with a number of
individuals. In its natural habitat
the nested eggs are guarded by the male. Furthermore, the male plays
host to eggs and young of Dinotopterus cunningtoni, a member
of the Claridae catfish family, which takes advantage of the already
prepared nest and feeds on the host brood.
Will eat a variety of foods. Tablet and pellet
foods with a good quality flake and frozen bloodworms. Also
relishes live worms such as the common garden worm, making sure
that there has been no weedkiller on the premises, and white worm.
| Etymology |
Auchenoglanis:
Auchen; auchenos = neck; glanis = catfish.
occidentalis : Pertaining to
the west; from the west.
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| References |
Froese, R. and
D. Pauly. Editors. 2005. FishBase.World
Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (05/2005).
Sandford, Gina & Crow, Richard: The Interpet
Manual of Tank Busters, Salamander Book, p110-111
Allan James @ 
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| Synonyms:
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| Auchenaspis
biscutata, A.biscutatus,A.occidentalis, Auchenoglanis
biscutatus, Pimelodus occidentalis, A. biscutatus occidentalis,
Auchenoglanis occidentalis occidentalis, Oxyglanis sacchii,
Auchenoglanis occidentalis var. tanganicanus, A.occidentalis
tchadiensis, A.tchadensis, A.occidentalis tchadensis, A.scutatus,
A.acuticeps, A. wittei, A.occidentalis tanganyikanus, A.vittatus
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| Common
Name: |
| Giraffe
Catfish |
| Family: |
| Claroteidae |
| Subfamily: |
| Claroteinae |
| Distribution: |
| Benin,
Congo Dem Rep, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau,
Nigeria , Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan , Tanzania. Type
locality: Sénégal.
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| Size: |
| 46cm. (18¼ins) |
| Temp: |
| 21-25°C
(69-77°F) |
| pH.: |
| 6.5 - 7.8 |
| Donation: |
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