Overview
The body of the Sharptoothed Catfish is strongly compressed towards the caudal fin. The dorsal fin is made entirely of soft rays and extends from behind the head near the base of the caudal fin. The pectoral spine has barbs along the outer edge only. The anal fin is made entirely of soft rays and extends from the base of the anus to base of caudal fin, which is rounded. The head is large and depressed, heavy boned and completely encased above. Eyes are small and lateral; mouth large, subterminal jaws with broad bands of fine pointed teeth, vomerine band of similar teeth behind the upper jaws on the palate. There are 4 pairs of long filamentous barbles with the maxillaries the longest. First gill arch has numerous close set, slender gill rakers. A large chamber above the gillarches is filled with a multi-branched accessory air-breathing organ. Color varies from almost black to light brown, often marbled in shades of olive green or gray. Underparts of the head are abdomen white.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Gadiformes
- Family
- Clariidae
- Genus
- Clarias
- Species
- gariepinus
Habitat
The sharptooth catfish occurs in almost any habitat but favors flood plains, large sluggish rivers, lakes and dams and can tolerant of extreme environmental conditions. Probably the most widely distributed fish in Africa, the sharptooth catfish is found throughout woodland-savanna zones of the Afro-tropical region from the Nile to as far south as the Orange system and the Umtamvuna. Adults occur mainly in quiet waters, lakes, and pools while preferring rather shallow and swampy areas with a soft muddy substrate and calmer water. They may also occur in fast flowing rivers and in rapids. They remain in the muddy substrates of ponds and occasionally gulp air through the mouth. They can leave the water at night using its strong pectoral fins and spines in search of land-based food or can move into the breeding areas through very shallow pathways.
Diet
The African sharptooth catfish is omnivorous, feeding on fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and plant matter, as well as occasional small mammals or birds. It uses its barbels to detect food in murky waters and is primarily nocturnal, scavenging or actively hunting during the night. Feeding behavior includes bottom foraging and surface feeding when prey is available.
Behavior
While usually a bottom feeder, it occasionally feeds at the surface. It is completely omnivorous. It has been known to hunt in packs, herding and trapping smaller fishes. Sharptooth catfish are a dominant ecological presence wherever they occur, so those introductions may threaten native fauna.
Fishing
They prey or scaveng on virtually any available food source including fish, birds, frogs, small mammals, reptiles, snails, crabs, shrimps, insects, and plant matter such as seeds and fruit, and is even capable of straining fine plankton if necessary. They are a highly recommended food fish in Africa, marketed fresh and frozen; eaten broiled, fried and baked.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.