Catfishes of Uganda

[Shane]

This is meant to be a working thread for me where I can make notes about Ugandan catfishes and where I am likely to locate them. If you are aware of locality records that might help please share them as well as locality information for additional spp.
-Shane

Mochokidae
S. afrofischeri - 17.7cm (Collected at Lake Nabugabo)
S. frontosa - 34.2cm, downriver from Murchison Falls.
S. khartoumensis - No confirmed records?
S. macrops - 17.3cm, Aswa River
S. victoriae - 35cm, most common at depths of 20 m. Entebbe and Jinja.

Clariidae
Xenoclarias eupogon - 20 cm, deep waters of Victoria. Critically endangered. Last capture 1977.

Clariallabes petricola, 9cm, Owen Falls damn at Jinja

Clarias alluaudi - 35 cm, papyrus swamps, Lake Nabugabo, Entebbe, Jinja
Clarias gariepinus - 170 cm
Clarias hilli - 19.6 cm, Lake Albert
Clarias leocephalus - 32 cm widespread
Clarias werneri - 23 cm Lake Kyoga, Entebbe

Scheilbeidae
Schilbe intermedius - 60.5cm

Malapteruridae
M. electricus, Albert Nile

Amphiliidae
Amphilius jacksonii -15cm, Lake Edward drainages DRC/Uganda border

Bagridae
B. bajad - 112 cm, No records? Lake Albert?
B. degeni - 55 cm, Entebbe. Among reeds and papyrus.
B. docmak - 127 cm,

[Birger]

This book http://www.planetcatfish.com/books/book ... a+Drainage has detailed physical descriptions and ecology information on six of the species you mentioned, I went through them and picked out some tidbits which may help as far as the information you are looking for, I realize it is from a different area but may help. If you wish for more info as far as physical descriptions etc.just say so. Each is in the form of a scientific description.

Synodontis afrofischeri
You seem to have a good grasp on this one.

Clarias allaudi-
This quote is in the Cat-eLog but pertains to the Rukwa drainage, I will put it here to keep info all together” 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. alluaudi 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.”

A note of interest, fish collected from clear water are very dark , fish collected from muddy water show a much lighter colouration. Dark fish collected from clear water will lighten in color a short time later.


Clarias gariepinus-
A quote from the ecology section “C.gariepinus is more confined to the lake itself and the associated larger rivers. From populations of the rivers, it is known that they breed during the rainy seasons, as already in December very small specimens can be caught in the flooded grasslands”

Clarias liocephalus-
As for C.alluardi , C.liocephalus can also be found in clear high mountain streams.

(Note the difference in spelling)


Schilbe intermedius-
A note of interest, there are populations of this fish that have an adipose fin and some that do not.
In the Lake Rukwa drainage” lake populations are much paler than specimens from the rivers.”
A quote from the ecology section “In March/April. They were about 4 cm or a little bit more in size, and could be caught near the flooded margins of the river between grasses and bushes where the river had formed some smaller creeks or brooks outside the river bed itself. There were probably many specimens in the river as well.It seems likely that these specimens were born at the beginning of the rains”.


Amphilius jacksonii-
Type locality”…the Hima River, eastern foot-hills of Ruwenzori, 3500 feet, flowing into Lake George(Ruisamba).” (Uganda).

A quote from the ecology section “a stretch of some kind of small rapids where the water is not very deep but here the water flows quite fast over large stones. This section of the river downwards again is followed by a more quiet part. It was only in the fast flowing section of the river that we were able to catch A.jacksonii”

Birger

[sidguppy]

no Claroteids from uganda like riverine chrysichthys or the widespread Auchenoglanis occidentalis?
odd

[Richard B]

It may be of little or no relevance but many many years ago in a fishing publication, there was a pic of a guy on a fishing holiday in Uganda with an enormous catfish - someone in the CAGB id'd it as

Heterobranchus longifilis

. (a sp not on the original list)

[Shane]

Thanks Birger, that is useful stuff.
No doubt given the almost Africa wide distribution of Schilbe intermedius we are actually talking about a complex of spp.

no Claroteids from uganda like riverine chrysichthys or the widespread Auchenoglanis occidentalis?
odd

Hmm, it did not hit me while doing my research, but yes, the entire family appears to be absent. That is not only odd, but must have some important significance as well.

someone in the CAGB id'd it as Heterobranchus longifilis. (a sp not on the original list)

No record of this sp in Uganda (per Fishbase) although it has been found in almost every other African country and has been widely transplanted as a food and/or game fish.

-Shane

[racoll]

It may be of little or no relevance but many many years ago in a fishing publication, there was a pic of a guy on a fishing holiday in Uganda with an enormous catfish - someone in the CAGB id'd it as Heterobranchus longifilis. (a sp not on the original list)

It could have been the semutundu

Bagrus docmak

?

They at least look kind of superficially similar, and maybe people just default to the vundu when they see a big African catfish?

[racoll]

Actually, scratch that. It looks like the vundu is found in Uganda:

http://www.fishingmurchison.com/fishtobecaught.htm

Makes me want to go there.

[Birger]

No doubt given the almost Africa wide distribution of Schilbe intermedius we are actually talking about a complex of spp.

You are most likely right but it was split at least once already and brought back together again De Vos(1984).


In the field guide to the freshwater fishes of Tanzania It has Bagrus degeni listed as a synonym of Bagrus docmak

Habitat and remarks: Although listed in CLOFFA, Greenwood (1966)considers this a synonym of B.docmak as characters overlap and the species occupy the same parts of Lake Victoria.

For Clariallabes petricola

Max size 9cm. Habitat and remarks: Stones in river beds or wave washed shores. May be mistaken for juvenile Clarias.

Note of interest-Dorsal,caudal and anal fins are joined, all the Clarias have the dorsal and anal fins distinct from the caudal.
This would be a very nice little find.


Birger

[Shane]

Actually, scratch that. It looks like the vundu is found in Uganda:

The sites photos show two different Clarias spp labeled "Vundu." One of which appears to be C. gariepinus. Vundu have been widely transplanted, so I am not suprised they would be here. They just have not been noted as present in any scientific resource available to me.

Also, their 3 pound Syno is clearly not S. victoriae. Is this S. frontosa?

-Shane

[Birger]

Also, their 3 pound Syno is clearly not S. victoriae. Is this S. frontosa?

The large adipose fin, the color, the look of the pectoral spine, I would think this is S. frontosa.

Birger